Friends, Lovers and Good Coffee
by Minerva77
Summary: Bella grew up in New Hampshire, along beside the sister/brother duo, Alice and Edward. The three of them were great friends and done everything together... until one evening Edward confessed his feelings for Bella. What should have been a happily ever after, considering Bella felt the same, ended badly... Summary continued at the top of chapter one.
1. Prologue - Welcome To The Big Apple

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 **Category: Twilight**

 **Genre: Romance/Adventure**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairing: Edward and Bella**

 **Disclaimer:**

All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. As the author of this story and with the permission of this site, I am only using the character names in my own original writing. Other than the names, I own the personalities and the story-line... and all of the mistakes.

In this story I will be merging together Twilight and F.r.i.e.n.d.s, a few of my favorite things.

 **Summary:**

Bella grew up in New Hampshire, alongside the sister/brother duo, Alice and Edward. The three of them were great friends and did everything together, until one evening Edward confessed his feelings for Bella. What should have been a happily ever after, considering that Bella felt the same, ended badly when Bella allowed confusion to set in, chose not to listen to her heart, and walked away. However, fate sometimes has a crazy way of fixing mistakes and handing us second chances. But Bella's second chance isn't quite as perfect as her timing.

 **Prologue to Friends, Lovers & Good Coffee**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Welcome To The Big Apple**

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I knew virtually no one in a sea of faces swiftly passing by. Huge, towering buildings surrounded me; a concrete jungle of honking horns, voices, music, and sheer, utter chaos.

I felt like, for once in my life, I was truly an adult. No matter what the future held, I had the guts to leave the only life I had ever known, and create a new life, on my own, in a city that would either make me or break me.

The excitement of moving to New York and starting a new job was overwhelming, to say the least. It was exhilarating, and at the same time, I had never felt so alone and invisible.

I had arrived in Manhattan just a few days prior, with wide eyes and blind expectations. My mission for the day was to find an apartment, any apartment at this point, because living in a hotel was becoming too expensive and impersonal.

I clutched my bag as I walked passed the bronzed gods from a Calvin Klein ad hanging above Times Square. Everything around me felt so gigantic and alive.

 _Surely, in a city bigger than life, I'll be able to find an apartment_. My own positive thoughts sharpened my optimism.

It was mid-July, and the sun had no mercy as it beamed down from the heavens. Walking on the steamy, black pavement, it felt like I was gonna melt before taking my next step.

By 4pm, I had checked on five different apartments. All of which apparently had been rented out before the ink dried on the newspaper I was holding in my hand. So to say that my optimism was fading fast would have been an understatement.

 _This is gonna be what failure tastes like_. The first negative thought entered my mind without mercy. _I didn't even last a week._

When the sun was setting, my back was breaking and my feet ached; note to self - never wear heels while searching for an apartment, or for any other reason, while walking the mean streets of New York.

Two more apartments and no luck later, the sun had completely disappeared. The air became somewhat cooler as the heavens decided then to open up and pour out buckets of rain.

No umbrella, no jacket - _great._

With my arms wrapped around myself in an attempt to keep warm, the sweetest aroma surrounded me, compelling me to walk inside a small coffee shop. _Central Perk_. I quickly read the sign painted on the huge bay window before stepping inside.

Once I crossed the threshold, it smelled like pure heaven, a mixture of brewing coffee, melting cheese on sandwiches, and freshly baked muffins filled the air. _This could definitely be heaven._

The day had gone by so fast, and in my busy quest to find an apartment, I had ignored the silent pain of an empty stomach the entire day. However, there was no ignoring the intense growl now.

With a long sigh of relief, I noticed there was an empty stool at the counter. I quickly made my way over, taking full advantage.

"Welcome to Central Perk." A young man with white hair and purple highlights handed me a menu. "My name is Mike."

"Thank you, Mike." I smiled as I momentarily gazed into his purple eyes. Yes, I said purple eyes.

Has to be contacts? I thought as I tried not to openly stare, because to be quite honest, Mike hadn't been the most odd thing I had seen since my arrival.

 _Naked cowboy singing in Times Square_. I reminded myself.

"I'll give you a moment." He offered before walking away.

I quickly scanned the menu, choosing the first thing that sounded good before taking a quick look around the coffee shop. I liked it here. Everything seemed so cozy, and friendly. Although tables and booths were offered, I loved the idea of how the place was filled with mismatched sofas and comfortable chairs as well.

A beautiful collection of art, photographs and quotes completely covered the top part of the brick walls while bookshelves thoroughly surrounded the bottom half of the walls. The perfect place to relax with a good book and cup of coffee.

"Buffalo Bleu and House Coffee," I announced as soon as the man, who clearly loved the color purple, returned.

"Will that be all?" he asked in a friendly voice.

"Yes, thank you." As soon as he walked away, I placed my drenched newspaper on the counter and tried to flip through the pages without ripping them apart. However, it was useless. My paper was soaked through and through, and the pages seemed as if they were glued together.

"Wonderful." I was ready to wallow in self-pity at this point.

"Here ya go." Mike winked as he slid a fresh, dry newspaper down the counter, stopping it right in front of me. And I couldn't help but smile at the odd-looking man. That had been the nicest thing anyone had done for me since I had arrived in New York.

"Thank you." I gratefully widen my smile. Briefly returning my smile, Mike walked away to fill other orders, leaving me in peace as I flipped through the pages, hoping I had overlooked an ad for an apartment.

"Bella?" A small voice questioned from behind, causing me turn around. "Bella Swan?"

"Alice!" Words could never express the joy or the relief I felt when I saw her.

After so many nameless faces and feeling so utterly alone, someone I actually knew was standing right in front of me. And the best part, she wasn't just anyone, but my childhood best friend, Alice Cullen.

I wasted no time jumping from the stool and embracing her in a hug. For the first time since I had arrived, the feeling of being alone was slowly fading.

"I haven't seen you in years." Alice's voice held as much excitement as I felt.

"Seven years to be exact." I reminded her. "What are you doing here?"

"I moved here with my family right after our graduation."

"So you've been living here for the past seven years?"

"Yes, and I love it here. What are you doing here?"

"Long story," I answered with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Come over and meet the gang, and you can tell me all about it." She smiled, waving her hand toward the center of the cafe where a huge red sofa sat with two chairs on each side, and a wooden coffee table in the middle.

I can't even imagine what I must have looked like - a drenched rat? I had wet strands of hair, sticking to my shoulders and arms, and I didn't even want to know what my make-up must have looked like.

As we walked toward her friends, I somewhat felt nervous. But I was beyond ready to meet new people, and hopefully make a few new friends myself.

"Everyone, this is Bella. Bella this is everyone." She pointed to her friends, one by one. "Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Tanya."

"Hello," I greeted them with a smile as they welcomed me in unison. The tall blond bombshell, Tanya, waved, with a rather perky smile.

Tanya and Rose were both blonds, and both very beautiful. However, Rose's beauty seemed more earthly and natural as to where Tanya's seemed to be hiding somewhere beneath a mountain of makeup. As beautiful as both girls were, Tanya's beauty and fashion sense screamed ' _Magazine_ _Cover'._ I assumed she had to be a model or an actress, or something glamorous.

"So, Bella, what brings you to New York?" Alice wasted no time asking as soon as we took our seats.

"You first, what's it been like living here for the past seven years?" I answered her with a question of my own.

"Okay, when we first moved here, I lived with my parents for a while, but then I met Rose, and we quickly became friends. She, Tanya and I got an apartment together, not far from here." She briefly paused. "After dropping out of college twice, I finally realized my passion was with food. After working two years as a restaurant critic for a local newspaper, and a few other odd jobs, I finally found my place as a chef at Javu."

Suddenly my head was filled with childhood memories of a younger Alice in her mom's kitchen. She loved trying new recipes and cooking for her family.

"She's one of the best chefs in town." The tall, muscular guy named Emmett interjected. "No one can beat Alice's cooking."

"Thanks, Em." Alice flashed him a quick grin before taking another sip from her mug. "Your turn, Bella. How did you end up in New York?"

"I actually got a degree in fashion and my former boss, Rachel, swore I had an eye for fashion that was being wasted in New Hampshire. She made a few calls, conjured up, what apparently, was an impressive portfolio, and landed me a job with Ralph Lauren... and here I am."

"Have you already started working there?" Alice asked.

"No, actually I don't start until next week," I answered.

"Tanya, here, used to be a model for Ralph Lauren."

That didn't surprise me. I had already figured that one out upon first glance.

"So where are you living?" Alice asked.

"In a hotel for now. I searched for apartments online, without any luck. Then I decided to go ahead and make the move, hoping that I'd have better luck in person."

"Any luck?" Rose asked.

"Trying to find a clean apartment, close to work and reasonably priced in this city is like trying to find a needle in a haystack," I answered her as a huge smile grew across Alice's lips.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked, confused.

"Bella, you're not gonna believe this, but your timing is kinda perfect. Rose and I have been interviewing people all week trying to find a new roommate."

"You're kidding?"

"No. I'm serious. Tanya is getting married this weekend and moving to Westchester with her husband-to-be, Riley."

"May I please have an interview?"

"I'll grant you one better than that." Alice was now all smiles. "You can move in with us. I mean, if that's okay with Rose?"

Everyone looked toward Rose for a reply. "Do you do drugs?"

"No."

"Can you handle sharing one bathroom with two other women?"

"Yes."

"And not hog it?"

"Of course."

"Our bedrooms are side by side, only one thin wall between us, can you handle listening to nineties music all night?"

"I love nineties music."

"Welcome aboard." Rose finally flashed me a warm smile, and relief flooded over me. "We better get back and help Tanya pack the rest of her things."

Whether it was luck or perfect timing, either way, I was beyond grateful. Finally, things were starting to look up.

Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival. Not two hours prior, I was ready to give up, and head back home in defeat. The apartment hunting alone had taken its toll on me. I was ready to leave New York and never look back, but now here I was surviving. Everything was falling into place. Lady Luck had arrived, and I couldn't wait to see what my new life in the big city had in store for me.

Just one last question hit me like a ton of bricks as I was helping Alice and my new friends pack up Tanya's belongings, where was Edward Cullen, Alice's older brother? I hadn't seen Edward in nine years. He, Alice and I were best friends in high school. He was a senior when she and I were sophomores. We used to have some of the best times together, until the night a confession from Edward changed everything.

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 **A/N**

Hello dear readers, thank you for taking the time to read _Friends, Lovers and Good Coffee_. A few things, this is one of my former fics I removed a few years ago. To anyone who read the first version, this version's story-line will pretty much be the same, although not completely identical, for I have edited the entire story and revamped a few things, so a few changes in this version.

I am happy to say, I have found a really wonderful beta, Songster, thanks to a lovely lady named Cared. Both ladies have helped me out very much, and I truly appreciate the both of them.

I have no posting schedule at the moment. I'm reposting this story in hopes of perfecting my own writing skills, and because it's so much fun.

Thanks again, xoxo,

Minerva77


	2. You learn as you go

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 **Chapter 2**

 **You Learn As You Go**

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Life in New York was in full swing. There were moments of peace mixed with moments of chaos. At times, I felt like I was ahead of the game while at other times, I felt like the greatest city on earth was swallowing me alive; it could be a very overwhelming experience at times.

Throw out any and all ideas that living in New York is anything like an episode of _Sex and the City_. Trust me, that's an illusion. I learned really quick, wearing four inch heels was a bad idea. A helpful tip from Rose - wear tennis shoes and pack those sexy heels for the office in a bag.

People are everywhere, and sometimes they're in your personal space. People will cough, people will sneeze, people will breathe on you, and practically sit on your lap on the subway. And don't even get me started on how crowded the subway can sometimes be, or the buses. Hailing a cab isn't as easy and simple as they make it look on TV either. People will literally steal your cab, even if you're standing right there ready to get in.

People can be nice, but they can sometimes be downright rude as well. I guess it's just one of those things in life where you have to take the good with the bad; suck it up, and move forward.

The first couple of weeks were busy. I moved out of the hotel and into the apartment with Alice and Rose. I absolutely loved living with them, and considering Jasper and Emmett lived right across the hall from us, and were pretty much at Alice's place daily, there were never really any dull moments.

Eating out every night can get quite expensive. Thank goodness I lived with a chef, and a damn good one at that. Alice loved cooking, and a good thing she did, because our gang loved eating.

Bonding with Alice again, came naturally. However, she had changed a little. She was no longer this carefree teenager whose mother had to practically scream at her to clean her room. To say Alice was a neat freak would have been an understatement; she was obsessed with keeping everything clean. But I suppose that was a good quality to have. I'd much rather live with a neat freak than a slob.

I noticed right away, Alice kind of played a mothering role. She was always cooking and cleaning, making sure that the rest of us were okay or on schedule. It was because of her, there were always clean towels in the bathroom. She had grown up so much since our silly days in high school.

Rose was amazing. She was a pistol, and I loved everything about her. She was down to earth, caring, and treated people with respect. However, considering she'd had a rough start in life, she was also as tough as nails, and knew how to stand her ground - when need be.

Rose had a strong mind; she was very upfront and honest. And the thing I liked best about her, as beautiful as she was, looks and shallow minded things meant absolutely nothing to her. She truly had a good head on her shoulders.

I was amazed at how swiftly I became close to my new-found friends. They made me feel like I was on top of the world, like I had found a new family. I loved that my new apartment was huge, reasonably priced, and the fact that our building was only one block away from Central Perk only sweetened the deal.

Every evening after work, we would go to Central Perk. It was kind of like our second home. We would hang out, enjoy one another's company, and relax over good conversation and good coffee.

Life was sweet. Actually life was wonderful.

My first day at Ralph Lauren was unforgettable. On the one hand, I was beyond excited, but on the other hand, I was as nervous as a child on their first day of school.

Luckily, I hit it off with my new boss, Angela Webber, from day one. Considering, I loved my job so much, it wasn't really much of a challenge for me to throw myself into my work wholeheartedly.

I was a fashion designer. Traveling and deadlines played a huge role within my job description, and although a college degree wasn't necessarily required in the world of fashion, candidates compete for jobs and having a degree certainly gave me my edge. But I never dreamed my degree would gain me my first hater.

A woman by the name of Jessica Stanley was apart of the design team I worked with. She wasn't exactly thrilled when our team leader, Ben, moved to Paris, and Angela chose me to take Ben's place as team leader.

I wholly could understand why Jessica would be upset with Angela's decision. She had been with Ralph Lauren for over two years. However, what I couldn't understand was why Jessica chose to react the way she did. She became very vile toward me, and at times, downright childish.

When I first arrived at Ralph Lauren, Jessica and I never really hit it off, but for the most part, she kept to her uncompromising self and ignored me, which was really fine by me. Once I was made team leader, Jessica became manipulative, spiteful, and very unpleasant.

Other employees informed me Jessica came from a very wealthy family, and the only reason she made any effort to work at all was because her father had threatened to cut her off.

Jessica was creating problems for our team, even stooping to grade school levels of causing unnecessarily drama. It wasn't fair; I was busting my butt alongside inventive workers who were giving their all, and because of one irresponsible person not pulling their weight, it was making the entire team look bad.

There were moments when I felt like I was failing the entire team and unworthy to be a leader, mostly because of Jessica's behavior. However, that all changed when Angela informed me, as team leader, I would have to do evaluations on everyone. I was completely honest when I wrote those evaluations, and as soon as they made their way to Angela's desk, I was called into her office to discuss Jessica in private.

Angela informed me she had had problems out of Jessica before. However, Ben had always given her the benefit of the doubt on his evaluations for some reason or another. After my meeting with Angela, she spoke privately with a few other employees, and later that same day with Jessica.

In all honesty, I thought Angela would perhaps speak with her about her behavior, or give her some sort of pep talk. I soon discovered that wasn't at all what happened when Jessica returned to the design room, calling me names, threatening me, all while she collected her belongings and then left.

It was so hard, and beyond embarrassing, to sit there and not say anything back to her, but I didn't want to cause an even bigger scene. Truthfully, I just wanted her to leave.

 _Talk about total lack of professionalism and respect_ , I mused as Jessica continued her rampage in the design room.

Up until that point of my life, I had never known what it felt like to be hated by someone. Especially someone who never really gave me a chance to prove myself.

The thing that mind-boggled me the most was why anyone would throw away two years with a company over such pettiness. It wasn't my fault she chose not to further her schooling in fashion, and I'd be damned if I was going to feel bad because I had.

However, being the soft-hearted person I usually am, I did feel bad. I truly wished things could have been different, because Jessica had an eye for fashion. Her ideas and opinions were quite helpful at times when Ben was team leader. But what choice does one really have when someone starts slacking at their job and completely ignoring their assignments, all while treating, not only me, but the entire team, disrespectfully?

Returning Jessica's hate would have been as easy as breathing, but instead I felt sorry for her. I couldn't imagine what was going on inside of her head that would cause her to be so miserable, so I tried to not think about it.

I had no idea what happened to Jessica. Did Angela fire her or perhaps she just moved her? In the end, it was really none of my business when all was said and done.

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 **~ F, L & G C ~**

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"So you got the poor girl fired?" Emmett sarcastically chuckled right after I had told the gang about my situation at work, and with Jessica.

"I don't know. I feel bad, but I don't know if she was fired or moved." I tried to explain.

"Well, in my opinion, you did the right thing." Rose crossed her arms over her chest, glaring toward Emmett. "You handled it as professionally as you could. Believe me, I'm all about respecting others, but if someone screamed at me the way Jessica did to you, you guys would probably have to come up with some bail money."

"Yeah, Bella, you did the right thing, I was only kidding." Emmett shot me one of his best dimpled-smiles.

"I just feel really bad," I told them. "I've never had to deal with someone so... angry."

"I bet I have some news that will make you feel better." Alice intervened, placing her coffee mug on the table with a bright grin.

Now curious, I glanced over toward her with questioning eyes as I took a sip from my own mug.

"Edward is coming home today." As soon as the words left her mouth, I spat coffee everywhere, clearly choked. Although, I wasn't sure whether it was because of the coffee or Alice's words.

 _Edward? My Edward... I mean my old friend, Edward?_

"Excuse me?" I managed to choke out as I used a napkin to clean up the mess.

"Edward, along with our parents, will be home today," she informed with excitement, checking her watch. "Any minute now."

Although I had been in New York for thirty-eight days, Alice and I really hadn't gotten the chance to talk about Edward. The gang had mentioned his name occasionally here and there , but as far as the details, I had nothing.

"Things will be easier around here now that Tanya has moved." Jasper pointed out, and his words only made me all the more curious as I stared in his direction.

 _What tied Tanya's move to Edward?_

"Edward and Tanya dated for a while," Jasper answered as if he were reading my mind.

"We all thought Tanya and Edward would end up getting married, but once Riley came on the scene, Tanya fell head over heels in love with him," Rose said.

"There was a lot of tension between Edward, Tanya and Riley for a while, and although things got better over time, things never were exactly the same. Tanya and Edward remained friends, but like I said, there was a lot of tension between Edward and Riley," Emmett interjected.

"How long did Edward and Tanya date?" I asked the first question that popped into my head.

Of course Edward dated Tanya. I mean, I only knew her briefly, but she seemed nice enough, and let's not forget how absolutely beautiful she was.

"It was more of an on-again, off-again relationship." Alice chimed back into the conversation. "Probably two or three years, I'm not sure. I wasn't exactly thrilled with my big brother dating one of my best friends. It was always awkward for me when they'd argue."

I could completely understand Alice's point, more than they all knew... even Alice.

"It was awkward for everyone," Jasper said. "We sometimes felt like we had to choose sides."

"Makes sense," I agreed in understanding. "So where has Edward been?"

"He and my folks actually left a few weeks before I bumped into you. They wanted to spend the remainder of the summer in New Hampshire with Aunt Kate. You remember her, don't ya, Bella?"

"I do." I warmly smiled at the few memories I had of Alice and Edward's aunt played in my head.

"Edward works at the Academy of Art University, but he owns his own nightclub here in Manhattan," Alice said. "I know that's not usually a common mix, but that's Edward. Speaking of nightclubs though, I can't believe you've already been here for over a month and we haven't taken you to Edward's club."

"Edward really does have one of the coolest clubs in town," Rose stated. "And I don't just say that because he's my friend either. Personally, I thought his club would flop, but it just so happens to be one of the trendiest clubs in town."

"Really?" I questioned, thoroughly confused. "I always knew Edward was smart, well above average, so I can see him at the Academy of Art University, but a nightclub owner?"

I most definitely didn't see that one coming. Edward always had a love for science and art. A very handsome young man, but the bookworm type.

"It actually happened on sheer accident," Alice explained with a light chuckle, tracing her finger around the rim of her coffee mug. "Edward temporarily bought shares in the stock market that did really well, and paid off rather handsomely. He wanted to invest the money, and it was Emmett and Jasper who talked him into buying and transforming the old building into a nightclub."

Hearing my friends discuss Edward had my stomach in knots. Or perhaps it was in knowing he could walk through the door at any given moment that had my stomach in knots.

 _Butterflies much._

I tried to compose myself before speaking again. "What's the name of Edward's club?"

"Club Cullen," Emmett dryly answered. "I wanted him to open up a simple bar, without the crowd and all the loud music and lights, you know? Something with a small TV set overhead. A place where the guys could go to unwind, throw back a couple of beers and burp without offending the ladies."

"And your idea was dumb." Rose playfully rolled her eyes, and I could have sworn I saw something between her and Emmett for a second... a spark? "New York is full of boring bars, but Edward's club is amazing. Beautiful lights, lots of open space and energy. The perfect combination of soul and funk will lift you to the heavens. I love going to Club Cullen."

"Speaking of Mr. Cullen, his cab just pulled up," Alice said from the window before darting toward the door.

I swallowed thickly as I watched her jump into her brother's arms just outside the threshold. I was a nervous wreck, anxious and excited, all at the same time. I couldn't believe I was about to see Edward Cullen after all this time; after everything that had gone down between us.

"Edward, you remember Bella Swan?" Alice asked as she pulled her brother by the hand, toward us.

"Yeah." He freed his hand from Alice's, only to run it uneasily through his already tousled-hair. "Hello, Bella. What brings you to New York?"

 _He's nervous too._

"That's the surprise I was telling you about on the phone earlier," Alice answered him instead. "Bella lives in New York now. She landed a job with Ralph Lauren, and she's rooming with Rose and me... Surprise!"

"Really?" Edward's eyes narrowed on me. "How 'bout that?

Although I had already bonded with everyone, and felt I had finally found my place, I suddenly felt like a fish out of water, like I was treading on _his turf_. I suddenly felt out of place.

The Edward I remembered from high school was tall, thin and at times, awkward. He was usually very shy, and wore simple t-shirts with casual jeans, sometimes a hoodie, depending on the weather. He usually kept his hair cut short. However, gone was the awkward, shy boy wearing t-shirts and jeans. Standing before me now was a man wearing black slacks with a thin royal blue button down shirt - top three buttons open - revealing the top of his broad chest.

 _He's changed so much._

He wasn't anywhere near as muscular as Emmett. However, he wasn't just tall and thin anymore either. Edward Cullen was tall and well-built. As cute as I thought Edward was back in the day, it was nothing compared to the gorgeous man standing before me.

His bronzed-colored hair was tossed all over his head; a beautiful mess, whether he chose to wear it that way or it was just really that messy. Either way, it was very sexy and seemed to work for him.

I was finding it harder and harder to take my eyes off of him. When he offered his hand, I swear to God, time stood still as I gazed into his piercing blue eyes.

His eyes were the only thing on him that hadn't dramatically changed; they were as delightful as ever. A marvelous shade of cerulean-blue, surrounded by long, thick dark lashes.

"Hi, Edward," I managed to say as I carefully slid my hand into his. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hi," he said as we stood a few seconds lost in the moment, hand in hand.

As happy as I was to see him, I had an ache in my heart. I had always carried around so much guilt over how things had ended between us so many years ago. Although we were once very close, when it ended, it ended; no goodbye, no closure, only guilt and confusion left inside.

"Welcome home, Bro." It was Emmett's voice who started time again, helping me find the willpower to look away from Edward.

"Thanks, man."

"Go ahead, tell us all about your trip, and how many honeys you had at your beck and call." Emmett chuckled as Edward gave him a sharp look, then grinned, sitting down next to him.

"Oh my goodness!" Edward stood as soon as he had sat down.

Looking back over his shoulder, he had an apologetic smile plastered on his face as he stared in the direction of a petite lady with loose, black curls that hung to her shoulders. The tiny woman, with beautiful, clear, tanned skin, sweet, doe-eyes, and a perfect smile seemed rather shy as Edward made his way over to her.

"Julie, I'm so sorry," he said, walking toward her and then placing a firm kiss to her forehead.

My heart rate sped up as I watched the two of them. _Edward has a girlfriend... The gang failed to mention this._

Obviously, they were a couple. Had not his actions and body language already pointed it out, the fact they were wrapped in one another's arms, making their way over to us, definitely confirmed it.

My eyes widened and my heart now felt like it had just fallen into my stomach. And I had no idea why I was feeling this way. It wasn't like Edward and I were long lost lovers being reunited, or that we even dated at all.

I didn't come to New York to find love. I came to New York for one reason, and one reason only, and that was to solely focus on a career in fashion.

"Everyone, this is Julie." Edward started introducing everyone to Julie, which explained why the gang never mentioned her.

Edward wanted to smile. I could see a smile trying to form on his full lips as he avoided all eye contact with me.

"Julie, this is everyone. My friends; Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and my sister Alice... and this... this is Bella," he said, saving me for last.

I couldn't quite pinpoint why Edward never named me among his friends or why he left me for last, or why he paused, taking a deep breath before saying my name. And I wasn't exactly sure whether he had said my name with aversion or approval. Either way it was stiff and tense, and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

 _Does he hate me?_

As everyone greeted Julie, I too offered my hand with a tight, but friendly smile. I had no reason to hate this woman.

"Edward has told me so much about you guys. I feel like I already know you all." Her eyes then fell on me. "Except for you, Bella, I wasn't expecting to find you here at all."

She spoke as if she knew me, but that wasn't at all possible. I had never met Julie. _Perhaps Edward had shared childhood stories with her?_

"T-that's because I had no idea Bella would be here." Edward stumbled over his own words. "She used to be Alice's best friend in high school, back in New Hampshire, and she recently moved here."

 _Ouch! Just Alice's friend, huh?_

His eyes fell upon me as an inscrutable expression overtook his face. "New job," he finally confirmed.

It stung a little when Edward said I was only Alice's best friend from high school. I considered him one of my best friends too. But I guess I could understand why he wouldn't consider me one.

"Oh, well, I'm sure we'll all grow to be great friends." She smiled toward everyone, but her smile slowly faded as she glared toward me.

 _She definitely hates me._

"Ahem." Rose cleared her throat as she stood. "Bella, you and I really need to get back if you want my input on that project you're working on. I have an early morning; I need my beauty sleep."

 _Bail out_. Thank God for Rose.

"Yes." I quickly agreed as I collected my bag and stood. "Julie, it was lovely meeting you, and Edward, it was nice seeing you again."

"You too, Bella." He then stepped closer, offering his hand again, but this time, I gave him a quick, firm shake without making eye contact, and then walked right past him and Julie.

"I'll see you guys later," I said as I left with Rose and we headed back to the apartment.

 _Breathe, Bella, breathe._

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 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for reading and leaving reviews. I truly appreciate the encouragement and kind words.

Edward has officially arrived back home and I know that Bella didn't really reveal too much from her past with Edward, but don't worry, Rose thoroughly interrogates her in the next chapter. God love Bella's heart, she thought Rose had given her bail out, little does she know, she's getting ready to play a game of twenty questions.

I would like to thank a few people. First, I wanna say thank you to Cared for extending her helpful hand in helping me find a beta, and for recommending this story, both on the FicSisters site and social networking. I also wanna say thank you for the cool banner, I appreciate everything you have done :) Second, I wanna say thank you to my new beta, Songster, who is amazing. I've worked with this lady on two chapters and I'm already learning so much from her. Third, I wanna thank one of my best friends, C-Mo, who is always there for me when I'm in writing mode. Whether I need files transferred or need her opinions, like I said, she is always there for me. I truly love her like a sister.

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	3. Interrogation & Reminiscing

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 **Interrogation & Reminiscing**

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Once Rose and I had left Central Perk, we made our way back to the apartment. She completely stopped at the door, blocking either of us from entering. It felt like her eyes were going to set me aflame.

"What?" I questioned.

"Are you gonna tell me what just happened back there at the coffee house or am I gonna have to drag it outta you?" Rose held my gaze while unlocking the door.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in a timid voice.

"You know what I'm talking about, you and Edward all googly-eyed, staring at one another back at the coffee shop. What gives, Bella?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I was aiming for innocent, but miserably failed. "Edward and I used to be great friends in high school. I was just surprised to see how much he has changed."

"I'll grant you that. I've seen pictures of young Edward." She eyed me, curiously. "There's something more though."

"I swear there's nothing more." I shrugged as I walked past her and into the apartment.

I needed a moment to catch my breath. Between seeing Edward after all of these years and Rose's interrogation, I felt like my head was spinning out of control. However, Rose and I had grown rather close, so I figured now would be a good time to tell her a little 'more'.

"Okay, there was this kiss," I said with a shaky voice. I knew in that moment I was going to regret telling this once it was over.

"I knew it." Rose slammed down her keys and bag before joining me on the couch. "Tell me more about this kiss."

"Well, there's nothing really to tell..."

"I'll be that judge of that." She smiled wickedly, willing me to continue.

"It happened the night of Edward's senior prom; his date stood him up, and I think he was embarrassed. I mean, of course he was embarrassed, who wouldn't be, right?" I started as Rose hung onto every word. You'd think I was about to reveal some universal secret.

"He, Alice and I decided to get drunk that night. We wanted to try something crazy, and break a few rules for a change."

"So then what happened, you little delinquent?"

"Then we drove to Lake Sunapee, built a fire near the lake, and Alice drank herself into oblivion before completely passing out. Once Edward and I had gotten her into the car, he turned on the radio, while we spent the evening sitting by the fire, talking. I got cold; Edward offered me his jacket and moved closer... and the kiss just sort of happened." I paused, recalling what really happened that night on Lake Sunapee.

 **~. . .~**

 _"You're cold," Edward said as I sat lightly shivering next to him._

 _"A little," I admitted._

 _"Here, take my jacket." He pulled it off and draped it over my shoulders._

 _"Thank you." I gazed into his blue eyes and appreciatively smiled._

 _Standing to his feet, he jogged off toward the car. Pulling out a NYC hoodie, throwing it on over his tux._

 _"Nice." I used my eyes to point out the old hoodie over of the tux, as he placed another log on the fire._

 _"I think it's safe to say that my prom night is officially ruined." He sat back down next to me._

 _"I don't know, I'm rather enjoying your prom night." My eyes peered into his as he moved closer._

 _"Me too." He hesitated before running the pad of his thumb across my cheek. "I'd much rather be here with you."_

 _Edward's brilliant, crooked smile was contagious. However, both of our smiles soon faded when we found our faces only inches apart._

 _Kiss him. Both my mind and heart were fearlessly willing me._

 _Taking a deep breath, I licked my lips as he moved even closer. I could feel the rush of adrenaline charging through my veins when I felt his sweet breath on my face. Kiwi Strawberry wine coolers mixed with strawberry jolly ranchers._

 _There was nothing I wanted more than to kiss him, to touch him, to show him once and for all exactly how I really felt. Swallowing all fear, I captured his lips with mine. And he didn't seem to mind as he quickly reached behind me, placing one arm around my waist, pulling my body even closer to his._

 _Sweet, gentle and slow, Edward moved his lips in synced with mine as our tongues explored the other's mouth. It was the most amazing, passionate feeling in the world, being that close to him._

 _I wanted to scream in frustration when he removed his lips from mine. However, I wanted to scream with delight once his soft, smooth lips where on my neck._

 _Both pleasure and pain thrust through my entire being as Edward kissed his way back to my lips and then across my jawline. Pleasure, because there was nothing I wanted more than Edward. Pain, because I knew what we were doing - about to do - could end up being a mistake, and I'd stand in jeopardy of losing the closest thing I had to a sister, Alice._

 _"Bella..." he whispered my name and I tightened my grip on his sweatshirt as if it was a lifeline._

 _"I want this," I assured him, kissing along his jaw and down his neck._

 _"Me too." He breathed, placing his cool hand on my stomach, just under the hem of my t-shirt._

 _Our lips locked again and this time even more passionately so. I could feel my cheeks becoming flushed at the fact that we were so close, yet it wasn't close enough. I had never in my life wanted someone as badly as I wanted Edward Cullen._

 _My heart fluttered when he moved his hand upward and gracefully placed it on my chest. Everything in the world seemed so small compared to that moment. I had dreamed of this moment, I had even visioned it, more than once, and now I was actually experiencing it._

 _On the one hand, I wanted everything to be perfect and take things slow. On the other hand, and considering how badly I wanted Edward, I couldn't get enough of him._

 _Surprising even myself, I pushed Edward on his back and climbed on top of him. With both knees on either side of him as I begin kissing him again and again._

 _Pushing my t-shirt up, Edward wasting no time in finding my breast. It was when I threw my head back in sheer pleasure, I noticed Alice moving around inside the car._

 _"Stop!" I hurriedly pulled my shirt back down and ran my fingers through my wild hair in attempt to comb it. "Alice is awake."_

 _The both of us quickly sat up, waiting, but Alice never did emerge from the car._

 _"Edward," I said only his name as we sat in silence. "We can't do that ever again."_

 _He never said a word in response to what I had just told him. Instead he used a small stick to make lines on the sandbar as he used his other arm to hug his knees closer to his chest._

 _"It's not that I don't want to." My voice was both anxious and nervous when he finally managed to look over toward me. "It's just that Alice and I are best friends... you and I are best friends. I look at your mother as my own."_

 _With only a quick nod and tight smile, he said, "I understand. Bella, I'm sorry for rushing things and acting like an animal... especially with you."_

 _"Especially with me?" I questioned. "I hardly think you were the one acting like an animal."_

 _"I mean with you, because it's you, Because I respect and care about you. You're not just anyone, Bella... like you said, we're best friends."_

 _I hated that he agreed with me, but I smiled in understanding. I wanted him to change my mind... just give me a reason - any reason - to prove I was wrong._

 _But he didn't. Instead we spent the rest of the evening in awkward silence, until it was time to go home._

 _It's funny how the heart can be so damn deceiving. I knew if we had allowed things to go any further, it may have ended badly. However, that didn't stop me from wanting Edward, and it definitely didn't change the way I felt about him._

 **~ . . . ~  
**

"It was really just a mercy kiss," I dryly added, lying through my teeth.

 _God forgive me._

"Did you guys use your tongues?"

"Rose!" I exclaimed at her bluntness.

"Well, did you?"

"It... was... passionate." _And heated and one of the best moments of my entire life._

"So you did use your tongues." She laughed. "Tell me more."

"There's nothing more to tell." There was no way I could tell her, or anyone, about the specific details of what really happened between Edward and I that night.

Talking about my past with Edward was making me feel uncomfortable. Not because I was sharing with Rose, but rather because everything was coming back to me. All those old memories - those wonderful, most amazing memories. All of the good times we had shared, and all those old feelings I had tucked deep, deep down inside of me for many years, was resurrecting. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't know if I would be strong enough to hide them away again.

"There was more to that kiss, Bella. I saw the way you looked at him earlier."

"And how exactly was I looking at him?"

"I don't know, like you've missed him, and he was looking at you the exact same way." She paused with a sigh. "And then, when Julie came inside, everything changed. You and Edward both seemed out of place... uncomfortable."

"You're reading more into this than what's really there, Rose. Of course I've missed Edward, but in all fairness, I've missed all the Cullens'. And that night on the lake, both Edward and I were tipsy. Sure we may have shared an amazing kiss, and there may have been touching, but I broke away and he apologized... end of story."

"No." Rose shook her head. "It's not the end of the story. Alice already told me, Edward once confessed he had feelings for you, but you shot him down."

 _When exactly did Alice tell her that? And when was this gonna end?_

I wanted to share with Rose, but not this much. Things were getting really personal. I held her gaze as she awaited my explanation. Like a mouse caught in a trap, I had no mercy.

"Rose, this is all really silly, and it was a very long time ago," I offered, inhaling sharply. "We were kids."

"Okay, fine." She held her hands up in surrender. "I'm prying and for that, I apologize. It's just you're one of my new best friends now, and Edward is one of my old best friends. I was only trying to fill in the blanks."

So prying turns into a guilt trip... wonderful.

However, Rose did have a very valid point, we had grown close since I had moved in with her and Alice. And there's nothing wrong with a little girl talk, right?

When she stood to leave the room, I cleared my throat and with a small voice, I asked her to wait. With a small, victory smile, she sat back down next to me.

"Do you need to hear me admit that I cared very much for Edward at one time?" I asked, not yet able to look her in the eye. I still couldn't believe I was opening up this much to her. "Because I did care for him, a lot. But he was Alice's older brother, and I don't know, somewhere in the back of my mind, always lurking, I had this fear. If Edward and I didn't work out, it could have possibly came between Alice and me."

"We all three used to do everything together. He had a car, and not many friends, he was always available to take Alice and me places. After a while, we just started including him. Edward was the type of guy who was always sweet and thoughtful. He would hold open doors for me, offer me his jacket, let me borrow CDs that, 'til this day, I haven't returned."

A sweet smile tugged at my lips as memories of a younger Edward danced in my head. Some of the best days of my life were spent with him.

"Edward wasn't a geek back in high school; he was just different."

"Shy?" Rose questioned.

"Sort of, yeah. Edward would never curse in front of me; he would always catch himself and apologize. And, of course, there were moments when I felt more for him. Really, I was always attracted to him, but I always fought against it, because of the fear of maybe losing Alice. She was like a sister to me, I couldn't lose her. I got so used to fighting my feelings for Edward, I convinced myself we'd never work out, and in the end it would only come between me and his family. I didn't want that. I wasn't only close to Alice, I was close to his parents as well. His mom was like a second mom to me."

"So in other words, you ended it before it had a chance to begin?"

"Exactly," I answered with a frown. "It was the night before Edward's high school graduation, and his parents had thrown him this huge cookout. There were so many people there, and how Edward and I ended up in his bedroom, alone, was beyond me. But there we were, avoiding the crowd, listening to music in his room when Edward suddenly went silent. I'll never forget that evening; the song, Hanging By A Moment, by Lifehouse came on, and Edward turned to me and said that song reminded him of us."

"I love that song." Rose flashed a mysterious grin.

 _Love it - if I had a dime for every time I had listen to it on repeat, I'd be a wealthy woman._

"He told me that was exactly how he felt about me, and asked me if I would just give us a chance. He then proceeding to tell me he would attend a local college in New Hampshire, putting his original plans on hold."

"What did you say?"

"I never said a word. I sat in silence as the song finished playing, and when it ended, I looked into Edward's eyes for a really long time. As badly as I wanted to say yes, and as badly as I wanted to kiss him again, and wrap my arms around him, I walked away. I never said anything at all, I simply walked out."

"Oh, Bella, why didn't you just tell him you felt the same?"

"I told you, I wasn't willing to risk my friendship with Alice."

"I'm not buying that," Rose prompted. "There was something else; your feelings for him were too strong."

"You'd make a damn good detective, you know that?" I pointed out.

"Yes, I know." Rose smiled. "What stopped you, Bella? What really stopped you?"

"Everything." I sighed. "Edward was Alice's older brother; he was one of my best friends. His parents wanted him to go to school here in New York; I couldn't be the reason he stayed in New Hampshire." I briefly paused in an attempt to collect my scattered thoughts. "I didn't wanna end up as someone he may regret or resent later on. Edward had so many dreams. All he ever talked about was moving to New York and starting a life here, going to school here. I couldn't have stood in the way of that... I couldn't compete with all of the things Edward wanted, and I definitely couldn't be the reason he stayed behind."

"Oh. My. God, Bella Swan, you shot him down because you didn't wanna hold him back." Rose's eyes filled with tears. "That is the most selfless thing anyone has ever shared with me."

"Well don't label me a selfless saint just yet, because let me tell ya, I regretted not telling him how I felt. I had every intention of going to Edward and telling him everything. I was gonna tell him I felt the same, and we could give us a chance... but only if he agreed to keep his plans, and not changing them around for my sake."

"What stopped you?"

"Edward left for New York sooner than planned. He ended up leaving a few days right after graduation instead of at the end of the summer as he had planned."

"Why didn't you call him?" Rose asked. "Or have Alice to tell him to call you?"

"I don't know. I guess, after Edward left, it dawned on me that he was really gone. He was starting a new life, and one without me. He was finally getting to do what he had always said he wanted to do. I guess, in a way, that intimidated me." I stopped speaking, and aimlessly stared at the floor. "And besides, the way I left things between us was unfair and confusing... in a way embarrassing, and I was scared to face him... even if it had been over the phone."

"Bella, is that why you came to New York?" I laughed for a moment at Rose's absurd question.

"Are you serious, Rose? Come on, be logical here. That was 'puppy love' kinda stuff, and it was over nine years ago. Like you said, it was over before it even began. I came to New York because of the job offer, and believe me, I didn't come looking for love."

Rose and I both looked toward the door when we heard the sound of Alice's keys on the other side. "And this is my apartment," Alice said as Julie followed her inside, and then Edward, along with Emmett and Jasper.

"It's beautiful," Julie said as she looked around. "And you share the apartment with Rose and Bella, right?"

"Yes," Alice answered, smiling toward us with a quick wave. "And Jasper and Em live across the hall, and Edward lives across the street. Come look, you can see into Edward's living room from here."

"Time to invest in some window blinds." Edward ran his hand through his hair as he followed behind his sister and Julie.

"Hey." Edward's voice was almost a whisper as he passed by me.

"Hey." I smiled, quickly looking away.

Grabbing my sketchpad from the side table, I scooted closer to Rose. I wanted it to appear as if she and I were discussing anything other than what we were really discussing.

"These are gorgeous, Bella." Rose hummed as she flipped through the pages.

"Thanks. I have to choose three by next Thursday, and have the sketches ready for Angela."

"I would definitely choose this one." Rose pointed to a sketch of a Corrina V-Neck dress I had drawn for the black label.

"That's one of my favorites." I smiled in agreement.

"Once this dress makes it's way to the hanger, how much will it sell for?" Rose gazed at the sketch.

"Around two thousand, give or take," I answered.

"And what exactly do you do, Bella?" Julie sat down next to me on the far end of the couch.

"I'm a designer." I told her.

"Actually, Bella is a designer with Ralph Lauren," Rose happily added.

"Impressive." Julie extended the word, stretching her upper body across my lap to have a look at the sketchpad Rose was holding. "Your job must be a lot of fun. It's like playing with Barbie every day. Only instead of Barbie, you're working with real-life, beautiful models."

I awkwardly smiled, not quite sure how I should take what Julie had just said. It wasn't so much of what she said, but rather the ridicule tone of how she said it. I guess, in a way, I took it as if I was out of place by working with beautiful models.

"Something like that." I decided to agree. "But I don't work with models every day."

"If anyone knows anything about beautiful models, it would be Edward." Rose sneered, cocking a brow in Julie's direction, causing her to sit up straight and glare in her direction.

"Excuse me?" Julie shot back.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I've said too much. You mentioned beautiful models, and Edward used to date one." Rose smiled, and I learned really fast just how blunt she could be.

The Edward that I used to know was forever gone. This Edward was different; this Edward wasn't at all shy or awkward. He had made all of his dreams come true. He seemed to have a life he'd always dreamed of, and dated beautiful women like Tanya and Julie.

Alice offered everyone a drink, and I couldn't help but peek over my sketchpad from time to time. Edward was more than different, he had completely changed. My session of reminiscing from earlier made me feel a tad foolish now.

What Edward and I shared in the past was nothing compared to what he had shared with Tanya, and was now sharing with Julie. It was like trying to compare apples and oranges.

I shouldn't have told Rose about me and Edward. I should have just kept my big mouth shut, because now I felt like a fool.

"Edward took me out on Lake Sunapee. It was lovely," Julie said to Alice as she, Edward and Alice stood by the window chatting.

"Our dad used to take us out on the boat all the time when we were growing up," Alice told her. "Bella, Edward and I have a lot of memories of Lake Sunapee."

"Edward and I made a few memories as well." Julie's tone was stiff and spiteful, but she continued to smile through their conversation, shooting me a quick heated glare when no one was looking.

Shaking my head, I chuckled to myself before deciding to retire for the night. Did it really matter it was only seven in the evening? I just needed to get the hell out of there.

I didn't come to New York to reunite with Edward Cullen. I didn't come to New York to fall in love or to resurrect old feelings from the past, and I didn't come seeking closure either. And furthermore, I sure as hell didn't come to New York to have tension between this twig-like person and myself.

Bottom line, what was in the past was in the past. Julie and Edward were a couple, and I, not only, respected that, but I wished them well.

* * *

 **A/N**

Always, thank you dear readers, you are reason(s) that writers write and you never fail in placing a smile upon my face.

I want to thank my wonderful Beta, Songster, who is teaching me so much. I truly appreciate every ounce of effort that she is putting into, both me and this story :)

Now we have a better understanding as to what went down between Bella and Edward in the past. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I wish you all a lovely weekend,

Until next time,

Minerva

Here are the lyrics that E told B reminded him of them.

 **"Hanging By A Moment"**

Desperate for changing, starving for truth

I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held on to

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete

I'll take your invitation, you take all of me now

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held on to

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know

I'm running and not quite sure where to go

And I don't know what I'm diving into

Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose, there's nothing else to find

There's nothing in the world that can change my mind

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

Desperate for changing, starving for truth

I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held on to

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know

I'm running and not quite sure where to go

And I don't know what I'm diving into

Just hanging by a moment here with you

Just hanging by a moment

Just hanging by a moment

I'm hanging by a moment

Just hanging by a moment here with you


	4. Nightclubs and Old Flames

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 **Nightclubs and Old Flames**

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It was a lazy Saturday, no work, no plans. The August heat was very overwhelming. I decided to stay inside for the day, or at least until the sun went down.

After Rose and Alice left the apartment for a fun-filled day of shopping with Jasper and Emmett, I realized things were too quiet. Grabbing my sketchpad, I headed to Central Perk.

In the middle of sketching, I felt the couch shift, indicating someone had sat down. I was so lost in sketching, I never looked up.

The sound of my pencil scatching over the paper was interrupted when I heard a raspy, familiar voice ask, "I take it you've already been sightseeing?"

Peeking over the sketchpad, I found it was Edward sitting next to me. No Julie, just Edward.

 _This is new._

Since Edward had arrived back home a few weeks prior, he and Julie had been inseparable. When you saw one, the other was surely close by. I pretty much stayed to myself when they were around. Not because I didn't want to be social with them, but rather because of Julie's heated glares.

"Yes," I answered with a smile when he handed me an ice tea. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He crossed one leg over the other and stared in my direction.

"What?"

"Nothing." His voice was almost a whisper as a slight smile tugged at his lips. "I can't believe you're really here in New York."

"Not too many people turn down a job offer with Ralph Lauren."

"I'm guessing not," he murmured. "What happened to you becoming a nurse?"

"You remember that?"

Edward grinned. "Of course I remember that. You used to talk about becoming a nurse all the time."

The entire time we were growing up, I always said I wanted to me a nurse. Actually, Alice and I both wanted to be nurses and work together at the same hospital. Edward always said he wanted to be a teacher.

"I remember." I shook my head, smiling. Flattered that he remembered. "But a lot has changed. A few months into the nursing program, I realized that I hate needles, and the smell of blood makes me nauseous."

"I heard that." Edward was kind of fidgety as he tried to make small talk between us.

Why was he making small talk between us? And where was Julie? She hardly allowed Edward out of her sight these days.

I had no idea whether Edward was just trying to be nice because I was now there and apart of his circle of friends, or because he was trying to show me what happened in the past was forgiven and forgotten; or in the least, forgotten. Either way, I was grateful to have the chance to talk to him. It was the most we had said to one another since he had came back.

"How have you been, Bella? How's Charlie?" He asked both questions back to back.

"I've been good." I decided to answer without details about myself. "Charlie's great. He finally got his bar and grill up and running, named it, 'Charlie's Place'."

"I'm glad he got his bar going. Emmett tried to convince me to open a bar back a few years ago."

"I heard about that. You opened a nightclub instead."

"You've been?" He eyed me curiously.

"No. Alice didn't mentioned it until the day you came home."

"Well since my friends has had the honor of showing you around the city, may I have the honor of showing you the nightclub?"

"What, right now? Isn't it closed?"

"I have a key." He stood with the most fabulous, crooked grin, holding his hand out to me.

Taking a long sip from the ice tea, I placed it on the table, and closed my sketchpad before giving Edward my hand.

"Would you prefer to walk or take a cab?"

"It doesn't matter, how far is it?"

"A few blocks."

"We can walk," I suggested.

"After you." He waved his hand as if he was offering me the sidewalk.

This Edward was nothing like the Edward I had witnessed over the past few weeks. This Edward was silly, fun and smiling. A lot like the old Edward I used to know.

"Julie," I said only her name, not quite sure how I wanted to approach this conversation.

"What about her?" he asked.

"She seems nice."

 _Toward everyone but me._

"She is." He tightly smiled. "She's really nice."

"You met her in New Hampshire?"

"Not quite, I met her here in New York, back a few years ago. I ran into her again while in New Hampshire."

"Oh."

"Did you visit New Hampshire much over the years? I mean, it was like..." I briefly paused, selecting my next words very carefully. "It was like..." I swallowed the rest of my statement.

"It was like what?"

"Once you left, you never came back. Then after Alice and I graduated, I went to Florida to visit my mom, and when I returned home at the end of the summer, the entire Cullen Clan had disappeared."

Edward laughed. "I decided to leave right after graduation. Dad had always wanted to open his own practice, he was waiting for Alice to finish high school. After she graduated, the entire family joined me here in New York."

"I bet you were thrilled."

"Thrilled wouldn't be the word I'd use."

"Why? You've always been close to your family." I pointed out.

"Yes I have. However, by the time my family moved here, I had managed to make a real mess of my life. I wasn't exactly thrilled with how they had found me."

"What happened?"

Running his hand through his hair, Edward sighed before placing one hand in his pocket. "I couldn't cope. Between work and school, and staying stressed over both, I starting drinking... a lot. By the time my family got here I was flunking out of school, living in a one bedroom rat-hole, and broke."

"I'd never guessed someone like you would ever fall into that trap." I shook my head in disbelief. Edward had always been so smart with good common sense. That seemed very out of character for him.

"You always seemed so focused and in control, even when you were younger. You knew what you wanted, and you weren't afraid to go after it. That was one of the many things I admired about you," I added.

"We don't always get what we want in life, Bella." He winked with a sly smile. "I learned that very early in life. But I lost control when school became more and more demanding. I was trying to work and pay my own way... it just got to be too much. I started missing a class here and there, then two classes, then before I knew it, I was missing two to three classes a week. I got hooked up with the wrong crowd, and I was working my ass off to try to afford partying."

"I'm sure Dr. Cullen would have helped, he adores both you and Alice."

"Of course he would have. I could have let my dad paid for everything, but I was in New York, the city of independence. I wanted to see if I could make it on my own, but I failed. However, once my family moved here, and dad and I talked, I realized it was time to man up and swallow my pride. I guess I learned there's no shame in accepting help from your family."

"You didn't fail, look at you now. You're working in a career you love, teaching." I briefly gazed into his eyes with a smile, recalling the memories of how he used to talk about teaching in New York. "You own your own nightclub, you have great friends and a... beautiful girlfriend. Face it, Cullen, you have it all."

"Trust me, I don't have it all..." he trailed off with a blank expression on his face. "You've already surpassed me, Bella. You've only been here for almost two months, and you have a nice apartment, a great job, and you're making it in New York; the city that will make you or break you."

"That's not really a fair comparison, Edward."

"And why's that?"

"You were young and going to school, trying to work a nine to five, and doing it all on your own. I had already completed school, and had a job waiting for me. And it's only thanks to your sister that I have a nice apartment."

"We're here." He pulled out a key and unlocked a huge, black, steel door that had 'Club Cullen' written overhead.

"Wow." My voice was low as I looked around upon Edward switching on the lights. "This place is..." I was rendered speechless.

Every wall was saturated with dark shades of blue, fiery red accents, and polished brass finishes. While an assortment of huge paintings hang in various places. No doubt, Edward had a hand in painting some of them himself.

He was an amazing artist, even in high school. Edward was a man of many talents.

An abundance of mirrors throughout the entire club, leaving traces of reflections across the bar tops, ceilings, moldings and railings. Red leather covered much of the seating, while most of the surfaces were glass.

"What?" He anxiously gazed over at me for an answer. "Horrible, wonderful, awful, awesome?"

"Yes, awesome, but I wasn't expecting it to be so..."

"So?"

"Elegant," I told him as he raised a brow. "It's amazing, Edward... incredible. I'm guessing whoever designed this put a lot of thought into it?"

Without answering, Edward walked over toward the bar, and from behind, he flipped a switch that made blue lights appear all around the bar and the wall behind it. If possible, it made the entire club look and feel all the more incredible.

"Impressive." I smiled as I took a seat upon one of the stools covered in a lustrous red leather. "Are you showing off, Cullen?"

"Maybe." He laughed, sliding a empty glass toward me. "What's your pleasure, Miss Swan? It is still Miss Swan, isn't it? I forgot to ask."

"Yes. It's still Miss Swan, and I'll have a beer."

"A beer?" he questioned with a smirk. "I'm standing behind a bar, and I can mix you any drink your heart desires, and you ask for a beer?" He paused with a grin, shaking his head. "I'd guessed wine or something like a margarita."

"I am my father's daughter, Edward."

"I guess." He chuckled as he poured a beer into the empty glass and then took a bottle of water from a mini-fridge before sitting down on a stool next to me.

"You're not gonna have a drink?" I foolishly asked without thinking.

"Recovering alcoholic, remember?" he quietly said as I blushed at asking such a thoughtless question. "I mean, I'll have a drink from time to time, but I know I have limits... so..."

"How long has it been since you had a drink?"

"Well, I had a glass of wine last week. It was the first drink I had had in months. But if you mean, how long has it been since I've been plasted? I haven't been drunk it over four years."

"Doesn't owning a nightclube make you all the more tempted?" I asked.

"Not really. When I'm here, I'm usually in the back in my office. And besides, like I said, I know my limits. The temptation isn't as bad as it used to be."

A tight smile briefly graced his lips as he awkwardly tapped his fingers against the water bottle in his hand. "So tell me, Bella, why are still single? I thought by now you'd have a husband, a couple of kids, perhaps a dog or cat, and live in some beautiful Victorian home on Lake Sunapee."

"Nice vision." I took a sip of my beer. "But sadly no one has came along worthy of that vision."

"I find that hard to believe." Edward gazed into my eyes, and I absorbed just how beautiful his ice-blue eyes really were. I was finding it harder and harder to look away.

"I was in a relationship with someone," I said, again, without thinking, but desperate to break our gaze.

"Does this someone have a name?" he asked.

"James," I answered with uncertainty in my voice.

"James, huh? And how was James lucky enough to land you?"

"Well, long story short, the Cullen Clan moved away, and I got lonely." I softly chuckled in hopes of talking about anything other than James.

"Well, I know one Cullen who would have gladly stayed behind, had you given him a chance." Edward's words took me by surprised, as if discussing James wasn't awkward enough.

"That was many moons ago, Edward," I replied, uncomfortably.

"You're right. I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry. Tell me more about this James person."

"James was..." I hesitated as Edward looked at me with questioning eyes.

I had never really opened up or talked with anyone about James. Once Alice left New Hampshire, I never did really get close to anyone else, as far as having girlfriends or someone to share girl talk with. My former boss, Rachel, was the closest thing I had to a friend, and she and I never let our talks get too personal.

As I sat there with Edward, I wished a hundred times over, I had never mentioned James. He was a part of my past I definitely had no desire to discuss. Although I was the one who foolishly brought him up. And since he was already the topic at hand, I decided to be honest with Edward.

"I was working at my father's bar one evening, and that's where I met James. He was polite and charming, and he started coming in every evening after work. Over time he grew on me and we started dating. In the beginning, James was everything a woman could want, I guess. Like I said, polite and charming."

"What changed?" Edward asked.

"Everything." I sighed, taking a long sip from my glass. "In the beginning, I guess it was fun. There was no pressure, ya know?"

"Pressure?"

"James was a great guy when we first started dating, but after awhile he started pressuring me to marry him. I wasn't sure of a lot of things in my life at that time, but I was definitely sure I didn't wanna marry James." I paused, inhaling sharply. "That's when he changed. He became very controlling, and even more demanding about our future together."

"Was he abusive?"

"Not physically... but James became manipulative. He would use things against me." I couldn't help but to laugh. "It's funny that you mentioned a Victorian house, because James actually bought one. Not on the lake though. But he never discussed anything with me, he just took it upon himself to buy a house and call it ours."

Edward didn't reply. He only quietly laughed when I told him about the house.

"He bought you a house?"

"He bought us a house, and then used it against me every time the topic of marriage came up." I then realized why Edward found that funny, it did sound funny... in a way.

"If you had no desire to marry the guy, how did you finally get away from him?"

"Oh yes... the two hour engagement."

"Two hours?" Edward bellowed. "That's gotta be some kinda record."

"I'm glad I amuse you." I joked. "In all seriousness though, James' mother invited me over for dinner, and although I had several excuses, there was just no getting out of it. So I went. His mother failed to me his entire family would be there, including his seventy-something-year-old grandmother. As soon as dinner was over, James got down on one knee and popped the big question in front of everyone."

"What did you say?"

"James grabbed my hand and slid a diamond ring on my finger before I had the chance to say anything. The next thing I knew, his entire family was hugging and congratulating us. It was humiliating being put on the spot like that. It angered me because James already knew how I felt, and he chose to ask me in front of us family."

Edward shook his head, laughing once again. "He probably knew it would be harder for you to say no in front of his family."

"Still not funny." I playfully scolded him. "You're probably right, but I felt bad. So that night, I ended things with James. It really wasn't fair to him. I don't think I ever loved James like a woman is suppose to love a man."

"Here's to sobriety, two hour engagements, and Victorian homes." Edward tipped his water bottle against my glass in good-humor.

"Tell me about Tanya." I blurted out, surprising even myself.

"Do I have to?" Edward playfully scrunched his nose, biting down on his lower lip.

"You don't have to." I finished off my beer, placing the empty glass on the bar. "But it's only fair, since I just told you about James."

Reluctantly, Edward sat his water down and picked up my empty glass. "Another?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Cullen?" I asked as he walked back behind the bar.

"Maybe." He zestfully grinned, but it soon faded. "What do you wanna know about Tanya?"

 _For some reason - everything._

"Whatever you're willing to share," I said instead.

"Tanya was everything I thought I wanted," Edward started in a low voice. "Turned out, I was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I met Tanya through Alice, of course, and in the beginning she and I were only friends. I realize now we should have stayed friends."

My heart was increasing speed as Edward talked about Tanya. I knew I had to pull myself together, and stop allowing myself to feel this way toward Edward... again. He was with Julie now and I had no right.

"Tanya and I were just wrong for one another; we were too different. She loved attention, and when she felt I wasn't giving her enough, she would cheat. I have no idea why I stayed or why I kept trying to work on a relationship I really didn't wanna be in anyway. But for some reason, I did. And it became a cycle; we would fight, Tanya would cheat, Alice would be stuck in the middle. Our relationship was putting a strain on us and our friends. I finally ended it."

"And she met Riley?"

"No, she had already met Riley. He used to work here as a bouncer. He's one of the guys she cheated with."

"Well that sucks. Alice and Rose told me a little about your relationship with Tanya."

"They did, huh? And what exactly did they tell you?"

"Alice didn't really give details or anything like that, she just basically said what you did, she was stuck in the middle and it was awkward for her. "

Everything went awkwardly quiet as Edward and I both seemed to be lost in our own thoughts. I wanted so badly, in that moment, to explain things to him. I wanted to tell him I was wrong for walking out on him so many years ago. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him after he went away. But at the same time, it was so long ago, and mentioning it now seemed unfair. Edward was with Julie; bringing up things from our past could possibly hinder us becoming friends once again.

"Did you love her?" My brave question echoed through the awkward silence.

Taking a deep breath, Edward used a snow-white cloth to wipe off the glass bar. Was he stalling?

"Yes and no," he finally answered, rendering me confused by his answer. "Yes, I loved her as a friend. No, I didn't love her romantically. I should have never went after Tanya. In the end, it only came between our friendship, and I should have never gotten involved with one of my sister's friends. It was selfish of me and unfair to Alice."

Edward uncomfortably washed the glass I had drank from. I could tell that talking about Tanya was a delicate subject for him, and he had a lot of regret where she was concerned. Or perhaps that was his way of letting me know he realizes now that it's risky in going after his sister's friends.

"I understand," I answered in agreement.

To spite the strange feelings I knew I already had for Edward, I knew I wasn't going to act upon those feelings or go after him. By doing so, it would only complicate things, and deep down inside, I truly wanted a friendship with Edward. I wanted things to go back to the way they were before that kiss on Lake Sunapee; before that evening in his bedroom.

"Sh-" Edward suddenly spat out, causing me to look up at him.

"What?"

"Julie," he said with a sigh, looking down at his watch. "I completely forgot, I was suppose to meet her, twenty minutes ago."

"I'm sorry." I jumped down from the stool.

"It's not your fault. My head has been in the clouds since I got back home." He shut off the switch from behind the bar and made his way around to the front.

"You go meet Julie, I can make it back from here," I offered.

"Are you sure?" he asked as we made our way toward the door. "It's really not a problem, Bella, I can walk you back."

"No, I promise, I'm good. You go meet Julie," I assured him once again. "I know my way around Manhattan, and besides, my apartment is only a couple of blocks away."

I don't know how long we stood in silence, staring into one another's eyes. It was like he wanted to say something, like I wanted to say something, but neither of us knew what to say.

"It was nice talking with you, Bella." It was Edward who broke the silence as he lightly touched my back when we both walked closer to the door.

"Thank you, Edward." I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him.

"For what?"

"For this." I smiled, looking back over his beautiful club. "For showing me this place."

 _And for talking to me... like this. And for letting me know that you don't hate me. Giving me hope that maybe you and I can be friends again._

"You should come back some time," he said as we stepped out onto the sidewalk, and he locked the door behind us.

"Maybe I will," I replied. "Maybe we should get the whole gang together and do that soon."

"Maybe we should," he agreed, taking a few steps away from me. "I'll see you later, Bella!" He yelled out before crossing the street.

"Later." I whispered as I watched him walk until he was out of sight.

Taking long, deep breath in hopes of clearing my head, I wondered if I should have said something more. Should I have brought up that last day we were together in his room and apologized to him?

No. What's done is done, and as long as he's making an effort to be my friend, I will gladly take it. And really, what was the point now? Everything that happened in our past was over and finished. If I mention it now, Edward might think I desire something more with him and completely withdraw any means of friendship with me. I guess some things in life really are better left unsaid.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much, for everything. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know. A big thank you to my wonderful beta, Songster. This lady is truly amazing. I love working with her, learning from her, and having her apart of this. Thank you to my PDF-Queen, C-Mo :)

 **Here's the character's merging roles:**

Ross Geller - Edward Cullen

Rachel Green - Bella Swan

Joey Tribbiani - Emmett Cullen

Phoebe Buffay - Rosealie Hale

Monica Geller - Alice Cullen

Chandler Bing - Jasper Hale

Gunther - Mike Newton

I plan to bring the cast of _f.r.i.e.n.d.s_ into this story-line, even if their roles are small and unimportant. Also, Jacob Black is going to have a role in this story. His character isn't ready to come out and play just yet... but he will be along in the future. For those of you who dislike Jacob's character, bear in mind, the dog played a very important role in the Twilight Saga. Without him, our beloved Bella would have died in New Moon - cliff diving. And besides, I wouldn't feel right banishing the dog.

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	5. The Mean Streets of New York

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 **The Mean Streets of New York**

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My thoughts drifted and scattered on Edward as I strolled down the streets, heading home. Edward was familiar to me, a huge part of my past. Being around him made me miss the friendship we once shared; the friendship we had before all of our feelings got in the way.

 _That's exactly what I'm feeling... friends and nothing more. I miss his friendship, not the regret of what could have been._

I postponed my inner debate on my feelings for Edward as I window-shopped along the way. I decided I would spend the remainder of the day exploring. Something I had wanted to do since arriving in New York.

After checking out several fashion boutiques, and taking a few personal notes of some of the styles and clothing line, I realized it was almost ten o'clock. I had no bag, no cellphone, or any other way of contacting Rose or Alice.

Hugging my sketchpad to my chest as I walked, I also realized I didn't recognize where I was. However, I was a smart girl, more than capable of finding my way home.

 _New York is a big city. I'm sure people find themselves in unfamiliar places all the time_. With a frustrated groan, I tried reading street signs on the dimly lit street.

I wasn't as smart as I thought I was, because smart girls pack pepper spray or some other means of protection. The further I walked, the more unfamiliar my surroundings became. And as if being surrounded by nightfall wasn't enough, it started raining, making it near impossible to see.

 _I really need to start packing an umbrella_. I shivered as I hugged my sketchpad even closer in hopes of keeping the rain away from the pages.

I could see a huge movie theater complex in the distance. Desperate to find both shelter, and perhaps even a payphone, I picked up the pace... and that's when my worst fear was confirmed.

Whether or not he had a gun, I don't know. He came up from behind and placed something - it felt like a gun - against my back. He put his other dirty habd over my mouth, and guided us into a dark alley.

It was hard to wrap my mind around what was happening: a feeling of violation: someone touching me without my consent, and a fear growing inside of me I had never felt before. With both fear and panic rushing through my veins, I decided not to fight back.

When he asked for my wallet, I nervously told him I didn't have it or anything else of value on me. But my words only angered him as he pushed me hard against a brick wall, causing me to fall to the ground.

I wanted to defend myself. My gut told me to kick him, but my chest was now throbbing.

"Stupid Bitch!" he screamed, only inches from my face. The smell of alcohol and decaying teeth made me sick to my stomach.

Grabbing my shirt with his fist, he pulled my face even closer to his before snatching my sketchpad away. Standing up right, he threw it as hard as he could, down the darkened alley, as the pages went freely flying in every direction.

"I should blow your damn brains out right now!" he shouted with his black teeth clenched tightly.

His desperate, beady eyes raked over me. I felt incredibly small and helpless under his gaze. I was utterly at this lunatic's mercy.

Tightly shutting my eyes, I laid quietly against the wall, ready to meet my fate. _God, please don't let him touch me_. My silent prayer was more of a final plea. If I had to die, then I'd much rather he shoot me and get over with. The thoughts of him touching me were more than I could bear.

 _Stupid, stupid girl._ I condemned myself over and over. So many times, I had promised my dad I'd never leave my pepper spray behind. He would be so disappointed if he knew how careless his only daughter had been.

Everything was happening so fast, yet it was like my mind was playing my entire life in slow motion. _Me standing along side my dad on the lake; my mom smiling as she braided my hair; Alice and me swinging on the school playground._

 _Edward..._ his memory flashed in my mind. _His ice-blue eyes and an unforgettable crooked grin. Edward wearing only jeans, covered in various colors as he stood in front of his canvas; I loved watching him paint. Edward driving along, his head thrown back in laughter as we sang the song on the radio all wrong. Edward's phenomenal smile as he sat in the lunchroom, waiting for me, and every day, he'd save me a seat._

A floodgate of both feelings and memories were spinning inside my head. Memories so beautiful, so perfect, my heart tightened, and I wanted to cry. But I was frozen, terrified to move. I feared the slightest movement on my part would only provoke the attacker.

Refusing to open my eyes, I was desperate to keep my thoughts on Edward. I waited for both the sound and the sting of a gunshot, but it never came. My blood ran cold when I heard another voice yelling, and then the sound of footsteps fleeing.

Slowly, I popped open my eyes and raised my head to find myself alone. The man who had just been standing over me - the man I thought was going to kill me - was now running in the direction he had thrown my sketchpad.

I wasted no time scrambling to my feet and running in the opposite direction. The pain in my chest was making it so hard to breathe, but I ran anyway. At times, I thought I was going to pass out, but still, I ran as fast I could. I had no idea where I was going. I only knew that I had to get the hell out of there, and back to where there were people and lights... and cops.

I could see Times Square in the distance; I now had a pretty good idea where I was. As the hard rain beat down on my face, I ran even harder toward midtown Manhattan.

Once I was in a place where there was life, I slowed down because the pain in my chest was making it unbearable to breathe. Punching in the code to my apartment building, I slipped inside.

Pacing back and forth, I panicked over what to do next. That's when the realization I had just been attacked hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt completely vulnerable, and beyond desperate to hide from the world. I didn't want anyone to see me this way.

"Oh, God," I whispered, making my way behind the stairwell on the first floor.

Sliding down the wall until I was sitting, I cried again. A million thoughts were racing in my head; my attacker's dirty face and rotting teeth mingled in every thought. I felt so ashamed, and extremely weak. I was scared everyone would only see me as a victim now.

I knew if I stayed hidden behind the stairwell, my friends would either come looking for me, or they'd go on to bed. Unfortunately for me, the pain in my chest refused to subside; I had no choice but to go to the apartment, and take my chances.

The entire elevator ride to my floor, I begged and pleaded with God for no one to be home. However, when I unlocked the apartment door, Alice, Rose and Julie were all there.

Alice stood in the kitchen, completely frozen in her tracks. Rose's eyes scanned over me in shock as both she and Julie stood up from the couch.

I couldn't control my thoughts as I hesitated, and tried to think of what to say. When words failed, I darted straight for my bedroom. Once I was safely inside, I quietly shut the door. And of course, it was short-lived when both Rose and Alice came barging inside.

Neither of them said a word as their horrified eyes searched mine. A part of me wanted to cry and hug the both of them. Another part of me, mostly the part that bore shame, wanted to scream, and demand they leave. I did neither as I stood aimlessly staring at the floor.

It was Alice who dared to make the first move. Carefully, and ever so gradually, she stepped toward me as if she was approaching a wild animal.

"You're bleeding." Her voice was faint as she took a few tissues from the nightstand and began lightly dabbing my wounded shoulder.

"Ouch," I snapped, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I was mugged... I mean attacked."

"Oh my god, Bella! Did you call the cops?" Alice's voice was now frantic.

"No, he didn't take anything. I didn't have anything on me," I explained.

"You still need to report this to the police," Alice argued.

"No, Alice, please." I shook my head, desperate to forget about the entire ordeal. "Can we not do this right now?"

"Bella, you really need to..." Alice started but Rose stepped forth, cutting her off.

"Alice, chill," Rose sweetly commanded. "Let Bella have a little time, okay?" Alice quietly nodded as she took more tissues from the nightstand.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Rose asked, and I hesitantly nodded.

"I wanted to check out some boutiques. I wasn't paying attention to the time or where I was. It was getting late... and you know what? It was all really stupid; I was stupid."

"Bella, you're not stupid. This isn't your fault," Alice said in a calm voice.

"It was my fault, Alice. I should have had pepper spray with me. I promised Charlie I would never leave the apartment without it. But I had only planned on being at the coffee shop; I didn't think I needed it."

The more I talked, the more humiliated I felt. Reliving the incident was almost as bad as the incident itself. Unable to hold back the tears, I finally cried in front of Rose and Alice. I hated crying in front of people; it made me feel so damn weak. But I found the more I cried, the better I felt. Expecting feelings of despair to come flooding in, it surprised me how amazingly comforting it felt knowing I had friends who cared for me.

"It was my fault." Edward's voice echoed into the room and an overwhelming sensation of sadness billowed inside of me

"How long have you been listening?" I asked, swiftly wiping away the tears, and having to force myself to look at him.

Completely ignoring my question, Edward stepped inside of my bedroom. "I took Bella to show her the club earlier today." His voice held a note of regret.

"I should have walked her back instead of leaving her alone," he added.

As if I wasn't already feeling embarrassed enough or angry enough, Edward's words only fed those emotions. He spoke like I was incapable of taking care of myself. Like I was a child - a victim - just like I knew everyone would view me.

"I can take care of myself, Edward." My tone was defensive as self-consciousness engulfed me once again.

"Apparently not." He shot back, his eyes piercing into mine. "I asked you if you wanted me to walk you back, and you said you knew the way. Why did you lie?"

"Dammit, Edward, I didn't lie!" I fumed, fighting even harder to hold back fresh tears of fury. "I could have made it back here just fine, but I wanted to... you know what? It's none of your business where I wanted to go."

"It may not be none of my business, Bella, but you should have taken someone with you." His sharp tone softened. "I could have gone with you."

"You had to meet Julie. You were already running late... and besides, I don't need a babysitter."

"I didn't say you needed a babysitter," Edward said from a careful distance, and I could feel my entire body starting to tremble.

"Stop it, you two." Alice stepped in, cutting the both of us off. "Neither of you are to blame."

"Exactly," Rose agreed. "Sometimes things like this happen, and there's really nothing anyone can do to prevent it. The important thing is you're alive. And Bella, Edward's right; you should have taken one of us with you. Not because you need a babysitter, but because it's better to be safe than sorry."

"For as long as I have lived here, I still prefer to have someone with me while out after dark," Alice added. "Especially in places I'm not familiar with."

"I was born and raised here, and I prefer to be with others while out after dark," Rose earnestly stated, staring down at me.

"Bella, I'm sorry," Edward whispered and every ounce of anger and embarrassment I was feeling felt smaller. "I have no right..."

"It's fine." I thickly swallowed.

Edward's eyes fell on my wounded shoulder. "You should really have that looked at. If you want..." He paused as if he wasn't sure about what he was about to say next. "I could take you to the hospital."

I held my breath for a moment, unsure of what I should say. My eyes flickered from Edward to Rose and Alice, who were standing quietly to the side. When I saw their eyes were pleading, I nodded, and the four of us returned to the living room.

I was giving everyone the full details of what happened, when I noticed Julie and Edward were standing on the fire escape, clearly having a disagreement. Emmett shrugged when he saw I was watching them through the window.

"Are they fighting because of me?" I asked.

"I have no idea," Jasper was the one to answer.

"Bella, is this your bag?" Alice asked, emerging from my bedroom with my purse in hand.

"Yes," I told her.

Julie came back inside. Her angry eyes were fixated on me as she stormed past everyone. Without one single word, she left, and Edward then crawled back inside through the side window.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Edward, listen, if you need to go after Julie, I understand. Rose and Alice can come with me."

"I'm going with you, Bella." His voice was steady and sure. "We better get going."

Since both Edward and Alice were coming along to the hospital with me, Rose, Emmett and Jasper decided to stay behind. There was really no sense in everyone going.

Edward's explanation of why Julie left mad sounded more like a cover, in my opinion. He informed us that she was a tad grouchy because it was so late. And although, a part of me wanted to tell him to go after her; another part of me wanted him here.

One chest x-ray and a minor injury with a bruised rib diagnosis later, the doctor released me. I was told not to return back to work until the following Thursday, or Wednesday if I felt up to it. The doctor told me I was very lucky, and I only needed over-the-counter painkillers.

After our trip to the ER, we stopped by the police station. I had to relive the entire ordeal all over again while giving the police my statement. With what information I provided and the sketch drawn up of the attacker, the police said they would investigate. But I already knew my case would probably end up in a filing cabinet full of unsolved cases just like my own.

When we arrived back home, Rose had already gone to bed. Alice made the sofa into a bed so I would be closer to the bathroom. And I greatly appreciated that, since I would be spending the next couple of days on the said sofa.

"Are you comfortable?" Alice asked as soon as my head hit the pillow.

"Very much." I warmly smiled.

"Do you need me to get you anything?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise, Al, I'm fine."

A huge smile formed on her lips as she looked down at me. "No one has called me that in years."

"Really?" I questioned. "Not even Edward?"

"Nope, not even Edward," she answered. "Bella, are you sure you're gonna be okay out here alone? You can sleep in my room, if..."

"I'll be fine," I assured her.

"Okay." She walked toward her bedroom, switching off the light on her way. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Al."

The room was dark, save a few street lights shining through the window. Suddenly, I noticed every object's weird shadow as my eyes crept around the room.

Every time I shut my eyes, I could see the attacker's face; I could smell his nasty breath or hear his angry voice. A mixture of feelings erupted inside; fear rushing through me, devouring me. I felt like a scared, helpless little girl who found a slight bit of comfort by hiding under the blanket.

Tears pooled in my eyes when I remembered how powerless the attack made me feel. I had always seen myself as strong. Not so much a tomboy, but definitely one who could handle her own. But I had surrendered to a stranger, like a sheep to the slaughter; I didn't even try to fight back.

Fear turned to anger as I kicked the covers off, and sat up. With tears streaming down my face, I paced the floor. I wanted to scream; I wanted to cry out, but I swallowed my anger, because of the late hour.

 _How could I let something like this happen?_ Charlie taught me to shoot a gun when I was only thirteen; I knew how to protect myself. _Why haven't I purchased a gun yet?_

I heard a sound near the front door, and I just about jumped out of my skin as my heart started pounding like a drum. Cautiously, I walked into the kitchen and took the biggest knife I could find in the drawer.

Creeping carefully toward the door, I vowed I would never be a victim again. I could hear whoever was on the other side; keys clunking together as someone twisted at the doorknob.

Holding my breath, I looked through the peephole to find Edward fiddling with his keys on the other side. I exhaled in relief, swinging open the door.

"What in God's name are you doing, Edward?"

"Bella, what are you doing up?" He looked at me, wide-eyed.

"Dude, you're messing with my door." I stated the obvious. "What do you mean, what I am doing up?" I pulled the knife from behind and into view.

"Jesus, Bella," he whispered, stepping inside and laying something in a plastic bag by the door. "Let's get you back in bed."

I knew he had my best interest at heart. However, I couldn't help but be annoyed at how everyone was treating me so delicately.

"I'm fine, Edward. I can get around pretty well on my own."

"Bella, you really need to rest as much as possible for the first few days." Without hesitation, he wrapped one arm around my waist, and his eyes were narrowed with worry.

I looked up at Edward, and realized I hadn't been this close to him since our kiss on Lake Sunapee. His hands were warm, too warm. It felt like my skin was going to burst into flames, and I couldn't decide if I wanted to pull him closer or push him away.

"I'm sorry..." My voice was shaky and I couldn't have stopped the tears even if I had tried. "Edward, I am so sorry."

"Bella..." he said only my name as he brushed away my tears.

"You guys were right. I should have never wandered off like that on my own."

 _I'm sorry for everything, Edward... everything. All of it. Not just what happened today, but what happened nine years ago in your bedroom_. The words where right there, on the edge of my tongue, on the surface of my heart. I was flooded with feelings, with memories; a reminder of just how much I had missed Edward over the years. But the words were stuck. I wanted to say them; I needed to say them, but for the life of me, I couldn't will them to come out.

Edward gently wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I felt safe in his arms; I felt safe just having him around, like so many times in the past.

"It's okay." He allowed me to cry into his chest while he lightly stroked my hair. "Let it out, Bella. I'm here."

"Edward, I didn't even try to fight back."

"And it's a good thing you didn't. He had a gun and things could have been a lot worse had you fought against him."

"But I hate the feeling of being a victim... so much."

"Don't look at it that way," Edward offered.

"There's no other way to look at it."

"I disagree." He held me even tighter, resting his chin on top of my head. "You were smart by not fighting back; the man had a gun. You're not a victim, Bella, you're a survivor."

Hearing him speak, having him comfort me, it was all familiar. Being in his arms, allowing him to see me at my weakest moment gave me more strength than I ever thought imaginable. In a way, it felt like us again. All of the tension, anger and fear melted inside of me as we stood in silence, wrapped in one another's arms.

"Why did you come back?" I finally looked up at him.

"Oh..." He broke off and walked toward the door, fetching the plastic bag. "I went back to where you were attacked. You were right; it was behind the movie complex." He handed me the plastic bag.

Peeking inside, I pulled out a damp and dirty sketchpad. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, overwhelmed with gratitude.

"I hope all the pages are there," he said as my eyes met his. "They were scattered everywhere. Some are pretty much destroyed, they landed in puddles, but most are salvageable."

"Edward..." I whispered his name, unable, unwilling to break our gaze. "I don't know what to say... thank you. But why did you go back there?"

His jaw was clenched tightly, and his eyes were unreadable. "He put his nasty hands on you."

I sighed in fear at the thoughts of Edward being in a dark alley. Panic arose inside of me at the thoughts of what could have happened.

"What if..." I swallowed the rest of my statement and my stinging tears. "Edward, you should have never gone back there alone."

"I wasn't alone." He tightly smiled. "Emmett and Jasper were with me."

"That still doesn't make it right. I wish you guys had never gone back there." I wiped away a single tear that managed to escape.

"Hey now." Edward placed his warm hand over mine. "Had I not gone back, you wouldn't have your sketches."

My heart squeezed tight when he removed his hand and stepped back. I wanted to hug him and thank him all over again. I wanted to yell at him for going back to that damned alley; I wanted to do something to make him stay longer.

"I'm gonna go and let you get some rest." His low, raspy voice pulled me from my thoughts. "You must be exhausted, and I need to call Julie back."

 _Oh yeah, Julie._

With a perfect, crooked grin, he moved a lock of hair from my forehead. "I'm glad you're okay, Bella. I'll drop by tomorrow to check on you."

I never replied to him informing me he'd be back. I simply nodded in appreciation instead.

"Goodnight." Edward's voice was just above a whisper, and my stomach lurched as I watched him walk away.

"Goodnight, Edward."

He locked the door on his way out, and my eyes were soon fixated on the squeaky ceiling-fan as I lay on the couch. I glanced over at the blemished sketchpad lying on the coffee table and smiled.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much. I appreciate every review you take the time to leave, and I appreciate everyone who is following this story, pimping this story, and adding it to favorites or communities.

A huge thank you to my Beta, Songster. I don't think there are any words to fully express how grateful I am to her.; she cleans these chapters up real nice ;) Thank you to my PDF Queen, C-Mo, I'd still be trying to convert files without your magic.

This chapter may seem offtrack, or perhaps dragging, but I needed to add it for the purpose of setting the scene in chapters 6, 7 and 8.

Until next time,

Minerva


	6. The Massage & The Message

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 **The Massage & The Message**

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My entire body felt stiff as I laid tangled in the mountain of blankets Alice had placed over me throughout the night. I desperately did not want to move, but the smell of bacon and eggs were forcing my eyes open.

"She's awake." A freshly showered Edward looked down at me as I squinted up at him.

Alice soon appeared beside of him, handing him a plate. Edward placed the plate of goodness on the coffee table and helped me sit up right.

My eyes met Julie's from across the room; I could already sense the anger in her glare as she watched us quietly from the distance. She stood by the window with her arms folded tightly over her chest, she looked beyond frustrated, and her stare of death was reserved for only me.

"Good morning," I said to everyone, but my eyes still holding Julie's.

Edward greeted back. However, Julie rolled her eyes. Turning her back, she began to gaze out the window.

"What time is it?" I asked Edward.

"A little past noon," he answered, handing me the plate of steaming hot bacon and eggs.

"Noon?" I tried to get up, but the pain in my chest was unbearable. "I need to get some work done; I need to call Angela... I need a shower."

If I looked anything like I felt, a shower probably wouldn't have helped anyway. It felt like I had been run over by a truck... a large, angry truck.

"Slow down." I found Edward's crooked smile both refreshing and relaxing, and I couldn't help but to smile in return.

"You have plenty of time. And besides, Rose already called Angela for you," Alice informed from the kitchen.

I looked in Rose's direction and she nodded. "Thank you," I told her. "What did she say?"

"She said you needed to take next week off and heal. And she would call you this evening."

A million thoughts were racing in my head as I looked around the room to find the entire gang already there. Everyone was showered and dressed for the day, and I still had dried up blood on my shoulder from the night before; I felt gross, and my hair resembled that of an 80's rock star, huge and teased to the max.

"Bella, you sleep like an angel," Jasper said upon returning his finished plate into the kitchen. "You looked so peaceful."

I could have sworn by this point, Jasper could read minds, or, at least, mine. He had a habit of answering questions floating around inside my head. Questions about how long everyone had seen me sleeping?

"A snoring angel." Emmett chuckled as he devoured his food.

"I don't snore." I playfully glared in Em's direction.

"You sounded like a semitrailer grinding gears when we first got here." Emmett joked, and although everyone was smiling at his teasing, it was Julie that found it the funniest. However, she never turned around; she continued staring out the window as if she was in her own little world.

 _I swear she hates me._

"You're lying." I could feel my cheeks becoming flushed.

"He's lying," Edward confirmed with a pleasant, playful grin. "Trust me, if anyone sounds like a semitrailer, it's Emmett."

"Edward, we really need to go." Julie finally moved away from the window, throwing her purse over her shoulder. "I can't wait for you to meet my parents."

Edward's blissful and pleasant grin vanished as she spoke. His apologetic eyes bore into mine as if he wanted to say something... perhaps explain something. But he owed me nothing.

"Do you need anything before I go?" he asked in a small voice.

"I'm good..." was all I managed to say before Julie was standing right over me.

"Bella's fine, Edward. She has Alice and Rose if she needs anything. We really need to go."

"She's right; I'm fine," I said with a tight smile. "You should go."

Apparently, if Edward was meeting Julie's parents, then the two of them were more serious than I realized. And he didn't need to be late, especially on my account.

"I'll call and check on you later." Edward placed a quick, feather-light kiss to my cheek before standing.

"Ahem." Julie cleared her throat before sliding her arm around Edward's waist as he said his goodbyes to his sister.

It was like she was sending me a signal, a message. _Back off, Bitch. He's mine_. And if her message wasn't well sent, her eyes confirmed it when I looked back up to find her glaring down at me with her nostrils flaring. Awkward and uncomfortable would have been an understatement, but nonetheless, I smiled tightly and looked away.

I had been avoiding both Edward and Julie, right up until Edward showed me the nightclub. By him doing so, it gave me hope that maybe he and I could be friends again; all I wanted was a friendship with him. I had no intentions of going after Edward. I completely respected his relationship with Julie. And now that he was meeting her parents, well, let's just say message received.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

Monday found me in black yoga pants and an over-sized gray hoodie, with bright, colorful, fuzzy socks. Alice kept the air conditioning ridiculously cool, which wasn't a problem on any other day. However, since I had been confined to the couch, unable to leave the apartment, it was starting to feel like Alaska in here.

It was day two of being a prisoner to that snow-white, spotless sofa. I felt like I was slowly going insane. I hated that my friends where waiting on me hand and foot; I hated missing work. Although, Angela informed me everything would be just fine without me, and insisted I take the entire week off to rest. Between Alice, Rose, and Edward hovering over me, I knew that goal wasn't going to be impossible to reach.

"You hungry?" Edward asked, sitting across from me on his laptop.

"Not really," I answered with a lazy yawn. "You can go ahead and leave if you want. I'll be fine here alone."

Edward ignored me and continued typing with a slight grin tugging at his lips. I knew he wasn't going to leave, but I kind of felt bad having him there. I was sure Julie wasn't happy he was over here, and I wasn't exactly thrilled being babysat.

I was bored, becoming somewhat fidgety as I traced my finger along the buttons on the remote. I wanted to start a conversation with Edward, but at the same time, he looked rather busy and I hated to interrupt.

"Where's Julie?" I interrupted him anyway.

"She's in a meeting," he answered without detail, narrowing his eyes on the screen in front of him.

"Edward, I promise, I'll be okay if you wanna leave."

"Bella, I'm not leaving." He shook his head. "I told Alice I would look after you."

 _Look after me?_ I was starting to feel like a pampered pet.

I sat quietly for a few moments. The sound of keys being punched on the keyboard, echoing throughout the room as I sat and watched TV on mute. Now I was bored, fidgety and becoming annoyed.

"Can't say I didn't offer..." I trailed off as Edward paused, glancing over at me with an amused smirk. "I am sleepy though. So if you can stand the sound of a semitrailer grinding gears while you work, I'm okay with that too."

"You don't sound like a semitrailer grinding gears, Bella." Edward's voice was laced with sarcasm. "You sound more like a wounded warthog."

"I do not snore, Edward Cullen!" I defended. "Unlike you, who sounds like a congested walrus."

"And how would you know?" His perfect, crooked grin was contagious.

"I used to spend the night with your sister, remember?" I regretted bringing up the past as soon as I spoke the words, but it was too late to take them back.

His playful smile slowly faded when his eyes found mine. He looked as if he was recalling something. "I remember."

Edward looked away and continued typing on his laptop. I lay in silence, watching him.

He was beyond handsome; Edward was gorgeous. He was slim, yet muscular with broad-shoulders, and his face was damn near perfect. So, of course, God had to give him those beautiful blue eyes and perfect white teeth with a sweet, boyish smile to match.

But even underneath all of his physical beauty, Edward had always had such a great personality; he was loyal and very considerate. He was polite and kind to others, always willing to lend a helping hand; I was living proof of that.

I wanted him in my life again. I desperately desired to resurrect the friendship we once shared. I missed being carefree around him. I missed being his friend; I missed the laughter and good times, the way I used to make him smile so easily.

"You're staring." Edward interrupted my thoughts.

"You're beautiful," I said honestly, in every aspect of the statement.

"Beautiful?" He raised a brow, peeking over his laptop.

"Handsome?" I giggled. "I just meant that you're a good person."

"You said beautiful," he reminded me.

"You have a beautiful soul."

"Couldn't I have a good soul or a kind soul?"

"Nope... you have a beautiful soul." I looked at him with heavy eyes, growing more tired by the second.

"Okay." He lightly laughed, shaking his head. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome." I yawned.

"Go to sleep; you need your rest."

"My back is throbbing," I pointed out.

"You've already taken your pain medication."

"I know." I frowned. "They didn't help much."

Edward set his laptop down on the coffee table and knelt down in front of me. "Roll over."

"What?" I questioned, wide-eyed. "Why?"

"I'm gonna massage your back."

Waving my hand, I laughed. "Edward, you don't have to do that."

"Bella, I give good massages, and it'll help your back. Roll over."

"Yeah, but..." For life of me I couldn't find any rational words to finish that sentence.

I monitored Edward's eyes carefully before slowly rolling over onto my stomach. He was dead serious about the massage. When Edward's cool fingertips first touched my exposed flesh, goosebumps automatically arose causing me to giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Your hands are cold and it tickles."

Edward applied more pressure as his fingers magically glided along the lower part of my back. He wasn't kidding about giving good massages. He applied the perfect amount of pressure right where my back had been aching.

"Do you remember when we were playing a game of basketball one evening and you tripped over a skateboard, hurting your back?" I knew I was bringing up the past again, but I needed him to remember how close we once were.

"I remember," he whispered with a warm smile forming on his lips. "You brought me dinner and massaged my back."

"Pickles and ketchup," I laughed.

"I hate pickles and ketchup mixed together on a burger."

"I still say you were being a big crybaby, but I felt bad you were hurt. So I walked all the way back to the restaurant to exchange your burgers."

"How many times did I have to go back through the drive-thru so you could make the poor workers fix your food?"

"But I walked, Edward," I snickered. "You had a car. I walked every step of the way."

"I said thank you. And whose skateboard did I trip over?"

"Please don't remind me." My cheeks flushed. "I can't believe I once wanted to be a skateboarder."

"You sucked." He smiled.

"I know," I agreed. "I remember riding that skateboard on the pier and damn near falling in the lake. I threw that board into the water and never looked back."

"It's probably a good thing you did. Alice and I had a bet on which bone you were gonna break first."

I lay in silence for a long moment. Reminiscing with Edward had my heart soaring. So many wonderful memories were playing in my head; like a perfect scene from one of my favorite movies.

"So you're a teacher, a club owner, a mother hen and a masseur?" I joked, changing the subject. "Any other hidden talents?"

"Mother hen?"

"Well, you've done nothing but take care of me since we left the hospital the other night. I mean, you, Alice, and Rose."

"First, you say I'm beautiful and now you're calling me a mother hen? I'm starting to wonder why I even try to make you feel better," Edward teased, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Okay, when I said beautiful, I meant you had a good personality, and you're good-looking, so that's a given. I shouldn't have said mother hen, I should have said... humm... caregiver, maybe? But hey, I'm sleepy and in a pain; my brain isn't exactly top-notch at the moment. I swear I mean these things as compliments."

"Since your brain's not top-notch... at the moment, all is forgiven. We'll work on more masculine words later."

"I forgot to ask, what exactly do you teach?"

When Edward was younger, he suffered an identity crisis. Would he end up being a scientist or an artist? He was always so passionate about both, and I had always wondered which he would choose.

"Art," he answered in a soft voice.

I remembered the night Edward and I had shared our kiss on Lake Sunapee. Before the kiss, Edward had asked if he could do a painting of me. I never did give him an answer.

"You chose art." I smiled, recalling all of the paintings that hung in his bedroom as a teenager.

"You mean over science?" he asked and I nodded. "I love science, but painting comes naturally. I can't see myself doing or teaching anything else."

"Did you paint the artwork hanging in the club?"

"Some of them, yes. I bought some from a local artist... Jacob Black. His father owns a museum here in Manhattan."

"They were really beautiful, all of them." I smiled. "Is Julie an artist?"

"No," he answered in small voice. "She's a science teacher."

"Oh." _Figures._

"What the hell is going on here?" Julie's angry voice overshadowed us.

I quickly, rather painfully, sat up on my knees; my eyes darting back and forth from Julie to Edward. His calm and pleasant demeanor quickly fading as Julie's furious eyes bore into his.

"Julie!" Edward's voice was high-pitched as he scrambled to his feet. "I-I was just..." He stumbled over his own words.

"My back was hurting..." I tried to help him with his explanation, but Julie's wrathful glare cut me off.

"Edward, may I speak to you in private?" She asked, her angry eyes boring into mine.

"Of course," he answered before they both slipped out into the hallway.

"Bella, what was that?" Alice sat her bag down by the door as she and Rose both stepped further inside.

"It was nothing." I declared. "My back was hurting, Edward offered to massage it. I swear to god that's all that happened."

"I believe you." Alice hesitated for a moment. "But I can understand why Julie would be pissed off though."

"I swear nothing happened," I repeated myself. "It would have been no different had it been a masseur giving me a professional massage."

No matter how many times I tried to make it sound innocent, it simply didn't feel innocent at all now. I felt like a child who had just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I could see Alice's point, and I could understand why Julie would be upset too.

 _I should have told Edward no._

"I hope Edward can explain things to Julie," Alice said before walking into the kitchen.

Was she angry with me? I had no idea, but it sure felt like it.

"I swear nothing happened." I looked toward Rose, who was now sitting across from me.

"I believe you." She winked.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

Over the next couple of days, I slowly but surely started to feel better. My back was almost completely back to normal, and my chest and breathing began to return to normal.

Edward hadn't really been around much since the day Julie walked in and caught him giving me a massage. But I completely understood why. I desired a friendship with him, but I surely wasn't going to pursue anything that would jeopardize his relationship or his happiness.

"Good morning," Alice cheerfully greeted from the kitchen when I walked into the living room. "First day back to work, huh?"

"Yes, and I'm glad to be getting outta this apartment. Four days cooped up in here is long enough. I think being stuck in between these walls has driven me a little insane," I aimlessly pointed out, taking the coffee mug she handed to me. "Thank you."

"I still think you should take the rest of the week off."

"I feel fine." I protested. "Trust me, I'm as good as new."

"Oh, Julie called," Alice said.

"For me?" I questioned in a shocked tone.

"Yes. The number's by the phone."

I walked over to the phone and nervously dialed the number Alice had jotted down.

"Hello." A female voice answered.

"Julie?"

"Yes."

"This is Bella. Alice said you called."

"Oh yeah, I did," she replied in a flat tone. "Bella, I was wondering if we could have lunch today?"

"Sure," I answered without so much as giving it a second thought. "What time is your lunch break?"

"I don't start work until next week," she explained. "Whatever time works for you."

"Noon?"

"Sounds great. Call me later with the details."

"I'll do that," I said, ending our call.

Why was Julie all of sudden being friendly? Why did she want to have lunch with me? Since the day we met, she had made it perfectly clear she couldn't stand me, but now she wants to have lunch? I was beyond curious.

However, I was glad Julie had called. Maybe if we got to know one another, we could end up becoming genuine friends. If we had the chance to talk one on one, perhaps all of this tension would subside. Getting to the source of the problem was definitely a step in the right direction.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for your patience on updates; both my beta and I have been busy. Thank you so much for the amazing reviews and private chats, you guys are awesome :)

A big thank you to Songster for perfecting these chapters.

I can't wait for you guys to read the lunch date... let's just say, Julie has nerve ;)

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	7. Straight To Final Jeopardy

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 **Straight To Final Jeopardy**

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My first day back to work was busy. The morning went by so quickly, I barely made it to _Panera Bread_ before Julie. Rose suggested the restaurant when I told her Julie wanted to meet for lunch.

I knew Julie and I would never be best friends, but that was okay; I wasn't looking for a best friend in Julie. In all sincerity, I wanted to resolve the issues between us, and find some common ground. If she and Edward were going to be together, then as his friend, I was willing to put forth an effort to get along with her.

As I sat going over the menu, I glanced up to see Julie approaching. She was wearing a simple white dress that complimented her tanned skin rather nicely. Her bewitching, bouncy, shoulder-length curls were piled upon her head with only a few hanging loosely around her face. Julie was a very attractive woman with a feisty personality; I could see why Edward was attracted to her.

"Bella," she greeted, taking her seat.

Although her greeting was rather stiff, I warmly smiled anyway. "Good afternoon, Julie. I hope this restaurant is okay; Rose suggested it."

"It's fine. I've eaten here before." She didn't seem impressed as she reached for her menu.

"I'm really glad you called," I said in hopes of starting a light conversation before discussing the heavy. "I think this will give us a chance to get to know one another."

Her eyes never left the menu as I spoke. I could already feel the tension rising, but I reminded myself it was Julie who requested lunch. Perhaps she was as eager as I was to end all of this uncertainty.

An unpleasant silence fell between us for a few moments. I felt like I should say something else, but I had no idea where to even begin. The sound of conversations all around us made me want to speak all the more.

 _Why am I here, Julie?_

"Rose said this place has the best turkey sandwiches in town."

"I've had better," she replied, her eyes still scanning the menu.

"I have nothing to compare it to. I mean, here in New York anyway. I've only been to a couple of restaurants so far... with Alice being a chef and all." I knew I was babbling; I felt uneasy and I wanted to get our conversation flowing. "Rose swears by this place though."

"Do you always listen to Rose?" Julie's voice was intimidating, causing me to flush.

My dad raised me to always treat others with dignity and respect. A little empathy can go a long way, he always told me. However, I'd had just about enough of Julie's rudeness to last me a lifetime. I decided then and there, it was time to stand my ground with her.

"Don't do that." The fearless courage in my voice surprised even me, sending a cold chill down my spine.

"Do what?" She finally willed her eyes from the menu.

"Treat me like I'm beneath you, or like you're better than me." I shifted my weight so that I was sitting up straight and looking her dead in the eyes.

I guess on some level I wanted Julie to like me, or at least, respect me. But it was obvious she hated me, and I surely wasn't going to kiss her ass in order to get her to like me.

"You're the one who wanted to have lunch with me, remember?" I reminded her.

"Well, aren't we being a little defensive-" Julie started, but I pushed myself away from the table, my chair scraping loudly across the tiled floor.

"I'm not gonna sit here and allow you to treat me this way, Julie, " I said before tossing my napkin onto the table and turning to leave.

"Bella, wait," she called out, causing me stop. As I turned to face her, an unsettling look crossed her face. Anger? Sadness? I wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it was enough to make me stop. "I'm sorry. Please, sit back down."

I glared at her for a long moment. Reluctantly willing myself back to the table, I had to remind myself we needed to have this conversation. Preferably as two adults, but nonetheless, we needed to work things out.

"No small talk," Julie said, folding her hands and placing them on the table.

"Straight to final jeopardy?" I asked as she nodded.

Reaching for my tea, I cleared my throat. "Agreed. Why do you hate me?"

"I wouldn't necessarily use the word hate."

"Judging by your actions, and the way you've treated me since the evening we met, I would have to disagree."

"Bella, I met Edward a few years ago, here in New York. From the beginning we felt something, I don't know, a spark? It didn't really matter though, because both of us were in relationships with other people. However, when I ran into Edward in New Hampshire, I was very pleased to discover we were both single."

"He's a great guy."

"Yes, I know," she agreed. "He's a wonderful guy, and I don't meet guys like him often. I really like Edward a lot, and I really want us to work out."

"Then, I wish you well."

"When we were in New Hampshire, Edward was a completely different person." A slight frown formed on Julie's lips as she spoke. "He was charming, and so much fun, very flirtatious; he seemed so happy and carefree. He seemed as thrilled to see me as I was to see him. Just like the first time we met, there was something between us, an instant attraction. However, since arriving home, everything has changed."

"Look, Julie, I'll admit the massage..."

"Bella, may I finish?" Julie cut me off. "Edward explained the massage to me; it meant absolutely nothing to him."

Her spiteful words were jarring, to say the least, and although I agreed, the massage was innocent, Julie was trying to hurt me. I chose not to reply or to defend; instead, I brushed it off and allowed her to continue.

"The entire time we were in New Hampshire, Edward showed me around his hometown. He shared several childhood memories with me. He talked a lot about his friends back here in New York. I couldn't wait to get home and meet everyone."

"But what's that have to do with me?"

"Bella, please don't pretend you have no idea where this conversation is going."

"Julie, make no mistake, I have a pretty good idea where this conversation is going. And I probably have a pretty good idea what Edward may have told you in New Hampshire. What I don't understand is why you treat me the way you do; like I'm a threat, like you're jealous of me."

There, I stated the obvious. I felt a tad conceited, but it needed to be said.

"You're right," Julie agreed. "You're absolutely right; I do feel threatened by you. I have certain insecurities, and I can assure you, I'm not usually the type of woman who tends to feel threatened by another woman."

"Why do you feel threatened by me?"

"Edward told me you were his first love, Bella. He spoke of you so passionately, and often. Every place he took me, everything he showed me, seemed to have a memory of you tied in with it. And if I may be perfectly honest, I felt threatened by you before I even met you."

"Julie, that happened so long ago." I held her gaze. "Do you honestly think I've spent the last nine years planning a trip to New York to reclaim Edward?"

"No, I don't," she answered without hesitation. "However, Edward also told me you broke his heart just before he left New Hampshire, and he never saw or heard from you again. But then, we get back here, and there you are. The infamous Bella he loved so much; the one person I hoped he'd never see again."

"Edward and I share a lifetime of memories; we grew up together. My mother wasn't around, and it was Esme who offered a helping hand because of my friendship with Alice ." My cheeks warmed slightly when I heard the boldness in my voice. "I was close to Edward's family and I feared losing them if we didn't work out."

"And now?"

"And now, I want Edward in my life again... as a friend."

"Had it not been for your friendship with Alice or Edward's family, would you have acted on your feelings for him?"

"Does it even matter now?"

"I think it does."

"Julie, I'm going to be straight with you; had it not been for the closeness I felt toward Edward's family, I would have, without a doubt, been with him. I loved Edward every bit as much as he loved me. But like I said, it was a lifetime ago. Things have changed; we have changed."

"Do you regret it now?" Julie bluntly asked, leaving me surprised by her line of questioning. Did she really believe I was this naive?

"Why don't you ask me what's really on your mind, Julie?"

She lightly chuckled, shaking her head as she picked at the salad sitting in front of her. A smirk was tugging at her lips, but she refused to say the words.

"You wanna know if I still love Edward, right?" Her eyes shot to mine in a flash. "You wanna know if I'm going to go after him, don't you?"

"I guess I do."

"As I stated, I want Edward back in my life. We were once best friends and I've missed him; I've missed him and his family."

"There are too many feelings there, Bella."

"Edward is with you, Julie. What he and I shared is nothing compared to what you share with him now."

"Edward surely didn't speak as if it was nothing." Julie stared at me for a long moment as if she was debating on whether or not she should continue. "I'm not usually this insecure. This is all very new to me. I'm a rather pragmatic and sensible woman, yet I can't help but feel jealous."

"We shared one kiss, Julie. One kiss, and it happened when we were teenagers. You guys are in an adult relationship, practically living together."

"You really don't get it, do you Bella?"

"Get what?"

"The way he looks you; the way he says your name," she said in a frustrated tone. "His entire face lights up when you walk into the room. He talks about you all the time, and although he denies it, I know he still has feelings for you."

Her words were making me feel unconformable. Why was she so freely confessing these things to me? I wanted to cut her off; I wanted to make her stop, but I couldn't speak. In a way, it was like Julie was seeking pity from me.

"The night you were attacked, Edward chose you over me. I'm sure you're aware of the argument that took place on Alice's fire escape. I told him if he went with you, then he was choosing you; he went anyway. When I walked in and caught him massaging your back, I gave him an ultimatum, and again, he chose you. But he assured me the massage was innocent and you guys were only friends."

"I was attacked. Did it ever occur to you maybe Edward was sincerely concerned about me as a friend?"

Julie sighed before finishing her tea and placing the glass back on the table. Her eyes once again found mine, and nothing but sheer hatred flashed back at me.

"I think your being here, in New York, has caught Edward off guard. Your presence has him reminiscing; living in the past, and old feelings are surfacing."

"I think you're misreading a lot of things, Julie."

"Do you now? You're not a stupid woman, Bella. Deep down inside, you know everything I've said is true. You're in denial. You'll never be able to have a real friendship with Edward. Like I said, there are too many feelings there." She ran her fingertip around the rim of her glass, refusing to look up at me now. "So I think it would be best if you just stayed away from him."

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to stay away from him, Bella."

"I can't stay away from Edward; we're friends."

"He deserves closure, Bella. You said yourself what you shared with him was nothing."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"So you lied?"

"You're twisting my words."

"I'm not twisting anything. And if you'll stay away from Edward, he'll get the closure he needs. He'll eventually take the hint, and we'll all be able to move forward."

I was at a loss for words as we both set in silence. I did agree with Julie on one thing, Edward did deserve closure, and so did I. But how would staying away from him give either of us closure?

"This isn't a sitcom. You're never going to be able to magically fix this situation and have the three of us sit around, sipping coffee while bonding. You're the old flame Edward never really quite got over, and I'm the new woman in his life. There is always going to be tension there. If you truly care for him and want him to be happy, give him closure, Bella. Let him be happy."

"I do want him to have closure. I want him to be happy, but this all seems unfair." I found my voice as I pushed my unfinished salad away.

"I think you're the one being unfair. You were the one who broke Edward's heart; you were the one who went on with your life as though he meant nothing to you. You've had over nine years to contact him, but you chose not to, and now Edward has found happiness. It would be incredibly selfish and unfair of you to ruin things for him."

"I would never do anything to ruin Edward's happiness; I want him to be happy."

"Good. I really have nothing else to say." It was Julie who dropped her napkin and stood this time. "Think about what I said, Bella. Edward deserves both closure and happiness; you hold the key to give him both."

I never said a word as I watched Julie walk away. As unfair and juvenile as her request felt, I couldn't help but to feel a degree of conviction. I mean, she was the one in a relationship with Edward, and I had no right to demand his friendship if it jeopardized that relationship; I had no claim on him whatsoever.

The thoughts of staying away from Edward made me feel like someone had punched a hole right through my heart. I couldn't imagine having to ignore him. And how would Edward feel about this? Would he even agree to me staying away from him?

I sat at the table alone for several minutes, pondering Julie's request. I truly thought we could rid the tension between us, but I felt more tense than ever.

 _Are there too many feelings between Edward and I to ever have a successful friendship?_

After paying the bill, I called Angela and told her I wasn't feeling well. I then found the a bar on my way home; I needed a drink.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

"Bella, don't make plans for Saturday night," Rose said as soon as I walked inside of the apartment.

"What's Saturday night?" I asked, slipping out of my shoes.

"Jasper's birthday." Alice beamed from the kitchen.

A big grin spread across my face. A night out on the town was just what I needed. Maybe that would help take my mind off of everything.

"Who will be attending this celebration?" I had to ask.

"All of us." Rose paused. "Jasper, Alice, me and Em, you... and Edward and Julie."

"Sounds like fun, but I don't wanna intrude, you guys." I started making excuses the minute I heard Julie's name... and Edward's.

"Who's intruding? We want you there; you have to be there!" Alice joined us in the living room.

"But I don't have a date."

"Rose has already taken care of that too," Alice informed.

"Wait. What?" I questioned with wide eyes. "You guys, I don't do blind dates."

"You won't be blind to anything. Tyler is meeting us in a little while at the coffee house."

"What?" I ran my hand through my haystack that I called hair, already feeling on edge.

"Calm down, Bella, it's not a date. We'll all be there; it's friends having coffee with another friend."

"Who is Tyler? How do you know him?"

"Tyler just happens to be a great guy. He works with Emmett in advertisement, and he is very good-looking," Rose said as she held up her phone, giving me a peek of his social media picture.

This was crazy... or was it? Maybe this was exactly what I needed to do. Perhaps this would help Julie not feel so threatened. Or perhaps I should have told Julie to burn in hell.

"I can't believe you guys didn't tell me any of this sooner." I ran my fingers through my hair again.

"Bella, you have plenty of time to get dolled up. We're not supposed to meet him for another hour," Alice explained. "And we didn't tell you sooner because we just made plans a few minutes before you came through the door."

"Okay," I agreed, walking away to change clothes.

"Where are we going Saturday night?" I called out from the bedroom.

"Edward's club," Rose yelled back.

 _Great... let's hope this Tyler guy is a real Prince Charming._ I sighed into the mirror.

An hour later, we were sitting in the coffee house chatting as we waited for Tyler. I was anxious, to say the least, but somewhat grateful that Rose and Alice had gotten me a date; it would definitely be less awkward having someone to tag along and share slow dances with.

"Hey." Julie's voice came from behind as she and Edward entered.

Hand in hand, they sat down together. As soon as Edward's eyes met mine, he removed his hand from Julie's, and without a second thought, I turned my head, looking away, looking in any direction other than Edward. I was nervous enough without having to deal with Julie.

"And there he is." Rose grinned.

"Who's he?" Edward asked.

"That's Bella's date for Saturday night," Alice answered him.

"Wow." Julie folded her arms over her chest as a smile of approval overtook her entire face.

However, Edward's entire ambiance changed as he looked briefly at me and then toward Tyler. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

Tyler really was handsome. His social media picture truly didn't do him justice. He was tall, physically fit with dark hair, and he had the most amazing green eyes I had ever seen.

"Bella, this is Tyler. Tyler, this is Bella." Rose introduced us before I offered my hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella." Tyler smiled, revealing his perfect, snow-white teeth.

"You too." I returned his smile, taking his hand, and without looking, I heard Edward clear his throat.

"Have a seat, man." Emmett offered, scooting closer to Rose, making room for Tyler on the end of the sofa.

Emmett and Tyler spent the next few minutes discussing work. I, for one, was grateful, it gave me a chance to get to know him better.

"How long have you worked in advertisement?" I asked Tyler, trying to stay focused on him and not the awkward stares coming from both Edward and Julie.

"Going on ten years," he answered.

"How old are you, Tyler?" Edward's rather rude question caught everyone off-guard as I narrowed my eyes on him.

 _Too far, Cullen. You and I are definitely gonna talk about this... later... Julie's request be damned._

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me," Edward immediately apologized.

"Nah, it's okay," Tyler smoothly told him. "I'm thirty-four."

"You definitely don't look it," Alice sweetly told him. I think it was in an attempt to cover for her brother's nosy, rude question.

"Thank you," Tyler replied.

I could see myself going out with a guy like Tyler. As we all sat and chatted, I found myself liking him more and more. I realized there was a nine year age difference between us, but I also realized age was just a number, and it wasn't like I was looking for anything serious; I only wanted someone to hang out with, someone to go to the movies with or have dinner with. Someone to keep Julie off my back.

Tyler told us he had been divorced almost two years. He shared with us what it was like growing up in Virginia, and how his move to New York came about. He seemed like a really nice guy and every bit as charming as I had hoped he would be.

"Well, it's getting late." Tyler looked down at his watch as he stood.

He said his goodbyes, and I offered to walk him out. From the moment I stood, I could feel Edward's eyes watching us. Stepping outside into the cool, crisp, night air, I inhaled sharply, shaking off all former tension from inside.

"It was really nice meeting you, Bella. I'm looking forward to Saturday night." Tyler placed a soft kiss on my hand after hailing a cab.

"Me too." I couldn't help but smile.

"Until then. Goodnight, Bella."

I debated for a moment whether I should go back inside or simply head home. Considering it was now dark, and after what had happened the previous weekend, I decided to go back inside Central Perk and wait for Rose and Alice. No sooner had I stepped through the door, than Edward's piercing eyes snapped up to mine. He ran his fingers through his hair, and I could feel myself starting to tremble under his gaze.

Suddenly, I could understand what Julie was talking about. There was something there; it was written all over Edward's face, in his eyes. Jealousy? He had no right; he was with Julie. Anger? Again, he had no right; he had no claim on me.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for all of the feedback this story gets. Thank you to my Beta, Songster, who beautifully fixes these chapters. I truly appreciate everything :)

I think we can concur, Julie is a bitter bitch. Unfortunately, for her though, her little request may have just sealed her fate. If you're a fan of Julie's, don't get too attached to her character ;) Bella and Edward talk in the next chapter! And chapter 9 will be written in EPOV ;)

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	8. We need to talk

**.**

 **We need to talk**

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 **.**

 **.**

"Where is everyone?" I asked when I walked into the apartment to find no one there, but Edward.

I had initially planned on returning home long enough to leave my briefcase and change out of my work clothes. It was Friday evening, and I was hoping to find Alice and Rose for some quality girl time. However, finding Edward in my living room instead, presented the opportunity to confront him.

He was a sitting duck, typing away on his laptop, and refusing to look up at me. "Rose left with Emmett, and Alice hasn't gotten home from work."

"And Julie?"

"She's at her apartment." Still no eye contact.

"Good." I dropped my briefcase where I stood.

Walking toward him, I felt bold and confident, completely in control. Sitting down on the sofa, I cleared my throat. "We need to talk."

Edward's eyes finally snapped to mine as he carefully closed his laptop. "Bella, I already know what you're gonna say, and before you even say it, I'm sorry." He apologized before I had the chance to say anything.

"I-I was outta line at the coffee house last night," he continued, stumbling over his words. "I should have never asked Tyler his age. That was wrong of me, and again, I apologize."

I shook my head. "Are you finished?"

"And I will never treat one of your boyfriends disrespectfully again." What was that smirk on his face? Amusement? Mockery? "That was what you wanted to talk about, right?"

"Yes," I answered him in a gravelly tone. "No. I mean, first of all, Tyler's not my boyfriend; I hardly know the guy. Second, thank you for the apology. You were behaving rather rudely. However, I wanted to ask you something else."

"Ask away." Edward grimaced, running his fingers through his hair.

He was nervous; I could tell. I was nervous. I wondered if my body language was as obvious as his.

Every ounce of self-confidence I had was fading like a withering flower; my calm demeanor was disappearing before my very eyes. The entire atmosphere shifted, becoming anxious, rather uncomfortable. But, I knew this was a now or never kind of moment. It was time to clear the air, and find out exactly where I stood with him. There were too many unresolved issues between us; it was time to fix things. However, continuing to bury things deep, deep down inside didn't sound like a bad idea either.

"Edward, where do we stand?" My voice was somewhat frantic as my heart begin to race.

"What do you mean where do we stand?" He looked momentarily surprised. "We were great friends who parted ways, and now we're friends again."

"So we are friends?" I asked and he shot me a puzzled look.

"It's not obvious? Of course we're friends."

"I had lunch with Julie yesterday," I told him, having no idea whether or not she had mentioned it to him. "It was interesting, to say the least."

"I know. Julie said the two of you had a really great time, and she enjoyed getting to know you better."

"What?" My voice was shaky, somewhat defensive.

"You didn't enjoy your lunch date with Julie?"

An abrupt realization hit me like a tone of bricks; Julie had mentioned our lunch date. However, she had lied her ass off about the specifics, and that pissed me off.

Was Julie deliberately trying to cause confusion between Edward and me? _Dirty Bitch!_

"Edward, Julie asked me to stay away from you." No sense in beating around the bush.

Now, Edward was the one who sounded defensive. "Maybe you misunderstood her."

"I didn't misunderstand anything. Julie flat out asked me to stay away from you."

"Why would she ask you to do that?" He shrugged apologetically. "We've been friends our entire lives."

"Whatever you told her in New Hampshire has her feeling threatened by me."

I felt like I was throwing Julie under the bus, but she lied to Edward. I knew I had to be completely honest with him if we were going to end this confusion between us and rebuild our friendship.

Edward walked to the huge window, overlooking the busy street below. He never said a word as he stared down into the traffic.

"Edward, I'm not trying to cause problems between you and Julie."

Without turning around, Edward sighed. "I believe you. I just can't believe Julie went behind my back and asked you to do that."

"What did you tell her in New Hampshire?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does matter!" I raised my voice, not meaning to. "I'm trying like hell to figure out where I stand with you. I'm trying my very best to be your friend, but your girlfriend is making it impossible for me to even be in the same room as you."

Edward then turned to face me. "I'll talk to Julie."

"No! That's not what I want, Edward. If you go to her with this, it's only gonna make things worse. I don't wanna cause problems in your relationship."

We silently stared at one another for a few minutes. Edward's soft eyes turned darker. Something was different; the atmosphere was shifting again.

"It's a little too late for that, Bella." His voice was almost a whisper as he turned back around, facing the window again.

"What's that supposed to mean? Stop turning your back to me!" I demanded, desperately needing to see his face.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" His words were sharp, like a blade to the heart. My irritation grew; I knew exactly what he was referring to.

As he slowly turned around, I could see fury written all over his face. He never said a word when he walked past me, and toward the door.

"Wait!" I yelled, following after him.

Grabbing his arm, I forced him to stop and face me. Our faces were merely inches apart, and I could feel his warm breath on my skin. The need to touch him was growing inside. But he wasn't mine to touch; I freed his arm.

"I want things to be like they were when we were sitting in your mom's kitchen, doing homework. Or on the boat with our dads, fishing and arguing over who caught the biggest fish. Do you remember, Edward? Do you remember how easy it was for us to be around one another?"

A sad smile tugged at his beautiful, full lips. I could feel my heart beating in my throat as I watched him recalling the same memories; I needed him to remember.

"Do you remember picking Alice and me up after games and blasting the radio all the way home? Teaching me to drive? Teaching me how to play basketball? Being friends with one another was as easy as breathing. Don't you miss it, Edward?"

"Of course, I miss it, Bella," he calmly said. "But I couldn't help falling in love with you. I tried to fight against what I felt, but being around you every day only made me want you more."

Both hope and nerves were tugging at my heart strings, and I wanted so badly to pull him close to me. I couldn't help wanting to be close to him. He may not have been mine, but that wasn't enough to stop the urge of wanting to touch him.

"I'm sorry." I could feel the warmth of tears stinging my eyes.

"What's done is done. We can't change the past."

"I'm not trying to change the past."

"Do you really wanna know what I told Julie?" he asked.

"I really do."

"I told her I've never loved another woman the way I loved you. I told her it took me a very long time to get over you, but a part of me would always care for you." His jaw tightly clenched as he looked away. "Was I crazy for telling her those things? Maybe I was, but I never dreamed in a million years I'd return home and find you sitting in Central Perk."

An overwhelming feeling of uncertainty was twisting inside of me. A part of him would always care for me; I briefly closed my eyes, unable to stop the tears. I wanted to speak; I wanted to tell him a part of me would always belong to him, but all I could do was silently cry.

"Say something, Bella. You're the one who wanted to talk... dammit, say something!"

Before I could say a word, he humorlessly chuckled, pacing back and forth. "Since you wanna walk down memory lane... do you remember the time I poured my heart out to you, and you walked out?" He was burning me alive; it was obvious he was trying to hurt me.

Angrily wiping away the tears, I walked past Edward and toward my bedroom. His words set me ablaze, and all I could do was let it burn to the worst degree.

"Déjà vu!" He yelled from behind me, and something inside of me snapped.

Perhaps Edward was trying to hurt me because he was hurting. Or just maybe, he knew if he made me angry enough, or pushed me hard enough, I'd have no choice but pour my heart out to him.

I stood frozen before slowly turning to face him. I held his gaze as I watched the light in his eyes go from anger to shock. "If I had told you how I really felt, you would have stayed in New Hampshire... and I didn't want you to stay!"

"I think you made that crystal clear nine years ago, sweetheart."

I stepped toward him. "I loved you," I said without an ounce of regret in my voice, and his distraught eyes softened. "Trust me, Edward, I loved you too. And as much as I loved you, it sometimes felt so small compared to how much I missed you over the years."

"Why didn't you tell me, Bella?"

"Because I couldn't be the reason you stayed in New Hampshire. If I had told you, you would have stayed, and I knew how much coming to New York meant to you. But believe me, if I could turn back time, I would have told you. I could have saved us both from all this regret."

My racing heart finally felt free as I stared into his piercing blue eyes. I knew what I had just said could never change the past, or erase my mistakes, but he needed to hear me say the words; I needed to say them.

Annoyance crossed over Edward's face as he sharply inhaled. "This isn't fair."

"I know." I moved even closer to him, but he backed away from me.

"No, Bella, I don't think you do," he said. "I would have given anything to hear you say that to me... nine years ago. Now it's too late; now I'm with Julie."

"I want you to be happy."

"I thought I was. I thought I had finally found someone I could possibly share a future with."

"Like I said, Edward, I want you to be happy."

"I was happy... until you showed up."

"What the hell am I supposed to say to that, Edward?"

Edward walked back to the window, casually leaning his back against the wall. The thought of walking away entered my mind, but there was no way I could walk away this time. As scared as I was, I swallowed my fear and carefully walked toward him.

His ice-blue eyes were filled with anguish as they peered into mine. I realized us being friends was only an illusion. Something that, no matter how badly I wanted it, it simply wasn't going to happen. Julie was right; there were too many feelings there. I still loved Edward. But it wasn't so much as me being in denial as it was me fighting against how I felt.

"I never meant to hurt you, Edward." Every insecurity I felt, every ounce of fear, was fading away. "I wanted you so much, but I don't know, I was young and scared. Blinded by a fear, that perhaps we'd never work out, and it would come between Alice and me."

"Our lives could have turned out so different, had you just told me."

"I did come back to tell you."

"When?"

"After you had already left for New York."

"Why didn't you call?"

"I don't know..." I sharply inhaled in an attempt to hold back fresh tears. "Once you were gone, it made it easier to fight against my feelings."

"Bella, I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know how to feel."

"I don't want you to hate me, Edward," I slowly said, unable to hide the tremble in my voice. "And I can't stand the thought of having to stay away from you."

I watched him carefully as he moved closer to me. His eyes glistened as he used the pad of his thumb to sweep away my tears. "Don't you get it, Bella? You're the one person I could never hate... even if I tried."

I tried to appear calm to his touch, to the fact he didn't hate me, and a part of him would always care for me. Truth was, I was dying to cry and pull him closer to me.

We stood in silence, neither of us capable of looking away. I placed my hand over his, softly kissing the palm, before placing it back to my cheek. I craved his touch; I needed his touch. I was lost in his touch, in the moment. Every ounce of love and passion I felt for him as a young girl was stirring inside of me, and I held on to those feelings with all of my might.

"You're with Julie," I blurted out, drifting back to reality.

His face twisted in devastation, and I could feel him trembling under my touch. "This isn't fair to her."

"I know," I agreed. "I want you to be happy, Edward, and if Julie makes you happy..." I swallowed the rest of my statement.

"But Bella..."

"Hello, hello, hello." Alice's voice entered the apartment, but she froze near the door once she saw us. "Am I interrupting?"

Neither of us answered as we stood in silence. Neither of us willing to look away from the other.

"Really, it's not a problem. I can come back later," Alice offered again.

"No, not at all. I think we're finished here." Edward slowly removed his hand from my cheek. "I know what I have to do."

 _Come back_. I cried from within, immediately missing the warmth of his touch.

I wanted to cry when I saw Edward gathering his belongings from the coffee table before leaving. Was this it? Was this our closure? Our final goodbye?

 _I know what I have to do_. His words echoed in my mind. What did he mean?

"Is everything okay?" Alice asked as soon as Edward left.

"Everything's... " I flopped down on the couch with a sigh, not sure how to answer her question.

She sat down next to me, wide-eyed. "What was that all about?"

"It's complicated."

"I'll try to keep up." She smiled, clearly not letting this go.

"I don't even know where to start."

"I wasn't as in the dark about you and Edward as you think." My eyes shot to hers. "I know what happened between you two back in New Hampshire."

"Did he tell you?"

"Of course he told me, Bella, he's my brother. He tells me a lot of things."

"I wasn't trying to hide anything from you back then, Alice."

"I know." She warmly smiled.

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"I know that too. I told him that. I knew how much he cared for you. We all knew; it was too obvious. And I knew you were crazy over him, but I never really knew what stopped you two from being together."

"Part of it was because of you, Alice."

"What?" Her mouth hung open in shock. "Why because of me?"

"Because I was afraid if things didn't work out with Edward, it could have possibly ended my friendship with you."

"Bella, you were my best friend; nothing could have come between us. You're the only friend I've ever wanted to see my brother with."

"Now you tell me." I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, do you still have feelings for Edward?"

I didn't answer her right away. I was scared to admit how I felt. If I said the words out loud, there would be no turning back. Of course I still had feelings for Edward. And now that I had finally gotten the chance to talk to him, my feelings were more perplexing than before. But what could I do? He was with Julie.

"I'll probably always have feelings for him," I finally answered.

"What about Julie?" Alice asked.

"Julie." I laughed, unsure where to even begin. "Julie hates me."

"I take it your lunch date didn't go as planned?"

"Not at all. Julie asked me to stay away from Edward."

"Why?"

"That's not even the best part," I explained. "She lied to Edward; she told him we had a great time."

"But why did she ask you stay away from Edward?"

"Because she's insane. Because she's jealous and feels threatened by our past. She's feeling insecure."

"I don't think she's insane," Alice said with a small smile.

"I don't either." I shook my head with a sigh. "She's a bitch, but I think she sees things for what they really are... Oh God, Alice, what do I do?"

"Do you still love him, Bella?"

"I don't want to. I thought he and I could be friends again. I wanted us to be as close as we once were, but I can't help but love him."

"Then, tell him."

"But he's with Julie, and it's not fair to her."

"Life sometimes isn't fair... for any of us. If you love Edward and he loves you, you both need to stop fighting against it. The only thing that isn't fair to Julie is if Edward stays with her."

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for everything, dear, wonderful readers. You guys truly make this entire experience here at FanFiction a lot more pleasurable. Thank you to my BFF, C-Mo, who is always there for me when I need a helping hand. And a big thank you to my beta, Songster, who takes the time to clean these chapters up. I appreciate every single one of you :)

I took a writing course a few years ago, and my instructor(s) made it clear they didn't like stories told in different POVs. But guess what? This isn't an assignment from the manual, this is Fanfiction, and I love stepping out of the box and pushing limits. With that being said, the next chapter will be in EPOV.

 **And here is a small teaser:**

 _"Why do you always defend her?" Julie's sharp voice finally cut through the silence._

 _"You had no right to ask Bella to stay away from me."_

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	9. I knew what I had to do

**.**

 **I knew what I had to do**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **EPOV**

"I don't want you to hate me, Edward," Bella said in a shaky voice. "And I can't stand the thoughts of having to stay away from you."

 _Hate her? Doesn't she realize I could never hate her?_

I never was one who believed in happily-ever-afters, or that there was one special person out there for everyone. But she made me believe in all of that. She had always been that one special person... for me. And the thoughts of her staying away from me were more than I could bear.

Silent tears slowly crept down her cheeks as I stepped closer toward her. Using my thumb, I wiped away her tears, sharply inhaling her sweet scent. My eyes helplessly locked with hers.

"Don't you get it, Bella?" I swallowed thickly, gently cupping my hand over her cheek. "You're the one person I could never hate... even if I tried."

Bella placed a soft kiss to my palm before holding her hand over mine. When silence fell between us, my mind began drifting. Everything replaying over in my head.

 **.**

 **.**

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Upon boarding the plane, my heart felt heavy. I was heading back to New York, and leaving behind the place where I was born and raised. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love New York; no other place Id rather be. But there's such a sweet serenity that comes along with living on Lake Sunapee. Sometimes, I'd miss it so much, I'd play around with the idea of one day moving back.

I shifted in my seat, gazing out the window. It had been an interesting summer, but one that ended all too quickly.

 _Goodbye, New Hampshire... goodbye, Bella._

Bella... I hadn't seen nor heard from her in years. We grew up together, and she was my younger sister's best friend who ended up being my best friend as well.

Bella's mother remarried and moved away when she was very young. The only family she had was her dad, Charlie, and his mother, Bella's grandmother, Grammy. Charlie worked long hours at a local lumberyard, taking all the overtime he could get. That left little to no time at all for Bella, and this weighed heavy on my mom's heart. My mom couldn't stand the thoughts of Bella being left out of school functions or not being able to enjoy normal kid activities, so she started including Bella in our family time.

I'll never forget the first time I saw Isabella Marie Swan. I was a know-it-all, nine-year-old brat, and she was a shy seven-year-old girl, wearing a red, cotton dress and pigtails. Nothing brought me more pleasure than picking on Alice and Bella; I made the two girls miserable for a very long time. You name it, and I more than likely did it to them. Everything from hiding their shoes before the bus arrived to putting frogs in their backpacks.

Having Bella at our home on a daily basis became normal; she was practically part of our family. Over the years, she and I grew close. Bella enjoyed the outdoors as much as I did. She and I would ramble through the evergreen forests; hiking, biking, fascinated by any wildlife creature lurking. Unlike my sister, Bella loved fishing. We looked forward to the weekends, and spending time on the boat with our dads.

As we were approaching our final teenage years, my feelings for Bella changed. They became stronger, leaving me confused, and somewhat feeling uncomfortable. Although Bella and I were no blood relation whatsoever, it still felt... wrong.

I hated myself for feeling the way I did; I tried to fight against my feelings for Bella. I told myself she was forbidden fruit, and not for me. But it didn't matter how hard I fought or what I told myself, being around her every day only fueled my desires, making me want her all the more.

Being the awkward teenage boy I was, I made the biggest mistake of my life; I told Bella how I felt. I would have sworn on a stack of bibles she felt the same. Maybe I misinterpreted the signs, misread the signals. Who knows? All I knew, I was young and in love, and I would have gladly spent the rest of my life trying to make Bella Swan happy, had she just given me the chance.

Right before my high school graduation, I confessed my feelings to Bella. She never uttered a word; she simply turned her back and walked straight out of my life. The embarrassment was microscopic compared to the pain of losing her. She did something she had never done before, she stayed away. That hurt me deeply, because of how close she and my family were; I knew what I had to do. Instead of staying in New Hampshire until the end of the summer as planned, I left for New York right after graduation. And I hadn't seen nor heard from Bella since.

I guess the reason my heart felt so heavy as I sat on the plane, was that a part of me was hoping I'd run into her during my visit back home; I suppose fate had other plans. I probably wouldn't even be thinking of her if I hadn't been in New Hampshire, and recently sharing childhood memories. After all, it had been nine, long years since I last saw her; it wasn't like my life had been on standby over the years.

 _Bella's probably madly in love with some rich doctor or lawyer. They probably have a couple of kids and live in some beautiful Victorian home by the lake. Some lucky bastard is probably kissing her sweet lips right now, and making love to her every night. God knows I would be if... Julie!_

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of any memory or thought of Bella. I couldn't be thinking of her or dwelling in the past. I had a beautiful woman sitting next to me.

 _Julie_. I smiled.

I had met Julie a few years prior, back in New York, but we were in other relationships. In spite of the fact Julie and I were attracted to one another immediately, there was really nothing either of us could do about it; a classic case of bad timing. However, much to my surprise, I ran into Julie again. While visiting with my aunt Kate over the summer, Julie was visiting her grandparents.

I was aimlessly wandering around a small bookshop, not far from my aunt's house. I spotted Julie browsing through the science and nature section. Her reading glasses where on the tip of her nose, and her tight curls were piled into a loose bun on top of her head. She was so incredibly sexy, wearing skin-tight jeans and a pink tank top.

I watched from the distance as she'd casually turn each page, and I had to say hello. We spent the next two hours talking and laughing in _Sunapee Mount Bookstore_. Just like the first time we had met, we hit it off instantly. And from that moment on, Julie and I were inseparable during our visit to New Hampshire.

Julie was fantastic. She wasn't only beautiful, but very intelligent. I hadn't been in a relationship for a while, but I could see myself entering a relationship with her. Her playful and witty personality made her all the more appealing. She was fun to be around, and just about everything a man could possibly want in a woman.

Since arriving back home, I was flooded by memories of Bella; Julie helped take my mind off of her. I guess, on some deranged level, she was filling a void I didn't even realize I had. However, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I felt such a sense of emptiness as I sat on that plane. I was a lucky man to have such a lovely woman sitting next to me.

"You okay, Sweetie?" Julie reached for my hand, and I couldn't help but smile when her fingers entwined with mine.

"I'm fine." I smiled down at her, lightly kissing the tip of her nose. "Just bittersweet leaving the place where I grew up."

She snuggled against me, and I wrapped my arm around her. She was so tiny and cute; I loved how it felt having her close to me.

While Julie slept, I watched everything on the ground becoming smaller and smaller. Before long, I drifted off myself.

 **~...~**

 _I saw dark brown eyes, lovely dark brown eyes. But they weren't Julie's. These eyes were even darker, had even more depth. They were soulful and warm... and so damn inviting._

 _I could hear the sound of laughter and water splashing. Voices, I could hear voices, but I wasn't close enough to make out what they were saying as they giggled, and splashed around in the water._

 _Then, I saw myself. I was a teenager again; sitting on my parent's patio, back at our old home in New Hampshire. I had a book in my hand, pretending to read._

 _Alice and Bella were in the pool. I sat with my face buried in a book, using it as cover. Every glance was killing me as I struggled to keep my eyes on the pages and off of Bella._

 _God, She was so captivating. I had never wanted anything in my entire life as badly as I wanted Bella._

 _She was wearing a tiny, black bikini, and her long, dark hair hung down her back. I wanted to touch her skin, her exquisite, sun-kissed skin, dripping wet and glistening in the sun as she frolicked around the pool. I wanted to kiss her lips every time I saw her incredible smile._

 _Why did she have to be so enticing? Why did I want her so damn badly? Why her?_

 _I peeked from behind the book, and Bella had her head thrown back in laughter. I don't think she even realized how beautiful she truly was. And as remarkable as dry Bella was, wet Bella was absolutely spellbinding; wet Bella was making it harder and harder for me to stay focused._

 _My eyes locked with hers; she caught me staring. I nervously looked back to the pages and hoped she didn't really notice._

 _"Why aren't you joining us, Bookworm?" Bella's voice was now only a few feet away._

 _Gradually glancing from behind my cover, I saw gorgeous, long legs. She was standing right in front of me, water dripping all around her; slowly trickling from her neck, down to the top of her breasts. I swallowed thickly as I gazed up at her._

 _I was consumed in wild, naughty thoughts of peeling that tiny bikini off of her, and having my wicked way with her. The things I could do to her; the things I had always imagined doing to her. And considering my parents weren't home, the possibilities were endless._

 _"Earth to Edward." She giggled, snatching the book away, and tossing it onto the patio table. "Come, swim with me. Alice had to get ready for a date."_

 _My eyes darted back and forth, from her to the book. I was desperately trying to banish the consuming thoughts of naked, wet Bella. If I had stood, she would have seen firsthand just what kind of effect she had on me._

 _"Come on, Bookworm... you can read later!" She shouted, swiftly turning and diving back into the pool._

 _Without hesitation, and once her back was to me, I was right behind her. The cool water now covered all effects._

 _Bella came up laughing when I grabbed her foot underwater. I loved hearing her laugh. Her laughter alone changed everything about this crazy world. I wanted, so badly, to put my hands on her, to touch her; I wanted to feel her wet body close to mine. But I knew I had to keep my raging teenage hormones at bay; my mother would kill me if I behaved like an animal._

 _I wanted to tell Bella how I felt as I stared hopelessly into her eyes. A man could get lost in those deep, dark-brown eyes, and never find his way back; I was lost and unable to find my way back._

 _"Catch me." Bella splashed me in the face before swimming away._

 _Oh, baby, believe me, there's nothing I want more than to catch you. To hold you in my arms, make love you, and spend the rest of my life being responsible for that marvelous smile on your face._

 _I took off swimming and was upon her in seconds. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her close to me. The sound of her laughter as she tried to free herself was music to my ears._

 _Slowly turning around, her laughter subsided as she shyly bit down on her bottom lip. It was all I could do to keep from devouring her mouth with mine._

 _Just one taste of the forbidden fruit, I told myself. I can't keep my eyes off of her; she's too irresistible._

 _I knew she could see it. It was so obvious. She had to know how much I wanted her, and I could see it in her eyes; she wanted me too._

 _Slowly licking my lips, I watched her cheeks flush and her breathing increase as she watched me. Without giving it a second thought, I closed the space between us. Her body relaxed against mine; her beautiful chest rapidly rising and falling, again and again, against mine._

 _My eyes were captured by hers. She was so alluring, but at the same time, extremely innocent. Her big, brown eyes searching mine as she waited._

 _I had to have her. I moved my face even closer to hers, and she tilted her head, ready to meet my lips. I had fought my feelings for her for so long, and now I was finally going to kiss her. And with every fiber of my being, I knew she wanted it as much as I did._

 _My heart began beating so hard, I could hear it echoing in my ears. Closer... closer. She shut her eyes; her long, feathery lashes fanning over her cheeks. I'm falling even more in love with her._

 _No turning back now._

 _"Bella!" Alice's obnoxious voice crashed around us, causing Bella's eyes to pop open as she slightly pushed away from me. "I need help deciding what to wear."_

 _Fuck... Alice... dammit!_

 _Bella looked at me apologetically. "I-I'm coming, Al."_

 _She quickly swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. Grabbing an over-sized beach towel, she hugged it to her, and briefly glanced back over her shoulder with a remorseful smile._

 _Don't go. Come back._

 _I tightly shut my eyes, irritated as hell. I loved my sister, but I swear to God, she could be downright annoying when she wanted to be._

 _My heart bottomed out when I saw Bella following Alice back into the house. I wanted to follow after them and steal her back... my Bella._

 **~...~**

"We're home." It was Julie's voice, and the sound of tires skidding across asphalt pulling me from my dream.

"You were smiling a lot. I take it you had a good dream?"

"I don't remember..." I rubbed my eyes, recalling bits and pieces.

 _Bella... wet... bikini... hard; I was very hard._ No, I was very hard. I glanced down and immediately sat up straight in hopes Julie hadn't noticed.

 _Jesus Christ, Edward! You're on an airplane, for God's sake._ I scolded myself.

Why was I unable to stop thinking of Bella? Was it the trip to New Hampshire that had my head in the clouds? It had to be, but I knew I needed to get a grip. I definitely didn't want to screw things up with Julie. Things would get better now that we had returned back to New York, right?

During our cab ride to Central Perk, I once again tried to clear my head of Bella and solely focus on Julie. I couldn't be dwelling in the past like this, Julie was sitting right next to me, and I was excited for everyone to meet her.

I told Julie to wait on the sidewalk, and I'd come back for her. I wanted to tell everyone about her before bringing her inside, but nothing could have prepared me for what was waiting for me inside Central Perk.

Time stopped here. After nine years of living in New York, the city suddenly felt alive. Everything in my world, everything inside of me, changed. I was no longer Edward Cullen, an average guy, I was Edward Cullen, a teenager again. Every feeling I had ever had for Isabella Marie Swan resurrected in a blink of an eye.

She was sitting right there in Central Perk. _Bella... my incredible, irresistible Bella. The beautiful poison I craved. The lovely creature who shattered my heart so many years ago._

I had always imagined what it would be like if I ever saw her again. What would I say? How would I feel? As I said, nothing could have prepared me for that moment.

Her smile was as exquisite as I had remembered over the years. Time hadn't touched her at all; she was every bit, if not even more, beautiful as she was when she was seventeen. Like an innocent bug caught in a web, I was already lost in her warm, dark-brown eyes, and I knew there was no saving me this time.

I stood in awe as my heart raced, betraying me all over again. It was surreal; it was like there was nothing or no one else around us. Just me and her, and a sense of vulnerability so crippling, I couldn't think of anything or anyone, but her.

"Edward, you remember Bella Swan?" Alice asked... or at least, I think it was Alice asking.

My eyes momentarily snapped to Alice as if she was crazy. How could I forget Bella?

"Yeah," I managed to say before nervously running my fingers through my hair. After all this time, Bella still managed to take my breath away.

 _What do I say? Do I hug her? I want to hug her; I want to touch her, just to see if she's real. I can't believe Bella is here. Why is Bella here?_

"Hello, Bella. What brings you to New York?" My words were polished and stiff.

"That's the surprise I was telling you about on the phone earlier," Alice answered.

 _The surprise? What the hell is Alice talking about? Oh yeah, she had mentioned something about a surprise over the phone... but Bella? Bella is the surprise?_

Knowing my sister as well as I do, I figured she had picked up a steak sandwich. A nice, hot steak sandwich from Shorty's... not forbidden fruit. This wasn't a surprise; this was more of a shock. Sheer, utter shock, rendering me breathless, and somewhat, petrified.

"Bella lives in New York now."

 _My New York?_

"She landed a job with Ralph Lauren and she's rooming with Rose and me... Surprise!"

 _So, she's not just visiting... she's here for... forever?_

In a single, flashing, throbbing moment, my entire world was flipped upside down. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Confused? Scared to death? I mean, I had just spent my whole summer, the entire flight and cab ride over, trying to get this woman out of my head. And now I was going to have to see her on a daily basis... again?

"Really?" My eyes narrowed on Bella, She was smiling, and my heart started beating triple time. "How 'bout that?"

I couldn't have pried my eyes off of her, even if I tried. It was so weird. It was like a lifetime had passed; yet at the same time, nothing had changed. Memories and feelings resurfaced, coming back to life, stronger than ever.

My beautiful ghost from the past was now within my reach. She was sitting right there... in my city, in my coffee house, among my friends. I hated that it brought me so much joy.

"Hi, Edward." She stood, still smiling, and this time, my heart melted.

 _Oh God, that smile._ That amazing, wondrous smile, making me feel things I didn't want to feel.

"It's nice to see you again." She offered her hand, and I cautiously stared at it for a moment before stepping closer.

My eyes were boring into hers as I took her hand. Her warm touch was so compelling, urging me to pull her closer, but I fought it with everything in me, and safely kept my distance.

"Hi," I managed to say, unable to release her hand.

I knew I was a goner; I was, without a doubt, helplessly and hopelessly lost in her eyes. She was the only woman on earth to ever possess such power over me.

"Welcome home, Bro," Emmett said, causing Bella to look away, and I wanted to choke him.

"Thanks, man," I said instead, finally releasing Bella's hand.

"Go ahead, tell us all about your trip and how many honeys you had at your beck and call," Emmett added, and I shook my head, grinning. Gotta love Emmett's bluntness.

Honeys? He made it sound like I was player, or some sort of Romeo. I was anything but.

"Oh my goodness!"

 _Julie..._ I had completely forgotten I had left her waiting outside. To be perfectly honest, I had forgotten about her altogether, and that made me feel like scum.

Looking back, I smiled apologetically toward Julie, who was now standing just inside the threshold. I felt horrible. How does a man forget about his own girlfriend?

"Julie, I am so sorry," I said, walking toward her and placing a firm kiss to her forehead.

 _Julie and Bella... here at once. Why... why... how does a man deal with that?_ I had no idea, but I knew I had to get a hold of myself. I had to find a way to surpass what I was feeling for Bella. I was in a relationship with Julie.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

As the days turned into weeks, I found myself in a hell so torturous, I thought I was going insane; I was at war with myself. Between trying to make things work with Julie, fighting every day with Julie, and fighting against what I felt for Bella, I found myself straying more and more. I was straying toward an addiction I had already conquered once. I hadn't had been drunk in years, but all I could think about was the burn of whiskey going down my throat... and Bella; I wanted to drink her off my mind.

I tried to handle Bella being back in my life. I tried to be her friend again, but just like so many years before, being around her only made me want her more.

 _Damn you Bella Swan... damn you_.

My life was just fine before she came along. I thought I had everything figured out, and I was happy. I was content. But now I felt like I was dying inside. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Julie. She was a good person; she didn't deserve any of this. But there was an ache inside my heart, reminding me, every minute of every day, I still loved Bella. No matter how hard I denied it, or how much I fought against it, I couldn't overcome it.

I tried like hell not to love Bella, and move forward with Julie, but it was like having wine after whiskey. By denying how I really felt, I was not only lying to Julie, but to myself, and that was the part driving me insane.

Then Bella was attacked, and something inside of me snapped. In the days that followed, I couldn't stay away from her. I was going crazy with this need to protect her. I couldn't imagine living in a world where she didn't exist. Especially now that she was back in my life.

Of course, my selfish need to protect Bella only caused more problems for Julie and me. So after weeks of living in an agonizing hell, I knew I was fighting a losing battle. I knew what I had to do.

 _ **. . .**_

 _"You're with Julie," Bella reminded me._

 _"This isn't fair to her."_

 _"I know," Bella replied. "I want you to be happy, Edward, and if Julie makes you happy..."_

 _"But Bella..." ... I'm in love with you._

 _ **. . .**_

My heart needed a break; I needed this thorn out of my side. Like a thief, I stole Julie's heart, and now I had to break it. I had been selfish long enough, and Julie deserved better than that; she deserved better than me.

I had already confronted Julie over her lunch date with Bella, which turned into a huge argument. Julie stormed out, and she had been hiding out in the bedroom.

I softly tapped on the bedroom door, but there was no reply. Taking a deep breath, I slowly turned the knob. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide; it was time to man up and do the one thing I had been dreading for weeks.

When I stepped inside, Julie was lying across the bed with her back toward me. I could hear her soft sobs and my stomached twisted in knots. I hated this. It was my fault she was crying; it was my fault she had been crying since we arrived back to New York.

"We can't keep having this same fight," I said in a low voice. "I feel like my life's spinning outta control, Julie."

She refused to face me as she lay quietly crying to herself. I sat down on the edge of the bed; my thoughts were scrambled as I aimlessly stared at the wooden floor.

Out of all the feelings and confusion, the one thing I was completely sure of was I didn't want to be deceitful or unfaithful; that's not who I am. But it was quickly becoming who I was. I was in a relationship with one woman while in love with another.

I had already come to terms with this entire situation being my fault. I'm the bad guy. I was the one to blame, and I openly and honestly acknowledged it wholeheartedly. None of this was Julie's fault, or Bella's. But I couldn't help how I felt, and I definitely couldn't change it.

"Why do you always defend her?" Julie's sharp voice finally cut through the silence.

"You had no right to ask Bella to stay away from me."

Quickly sitting up, Julie's angry eyes bore into mine. "I had every right, Edward. You're with me now; I did it for us... and you're defending her again."

"I've been friends with Bella my entire life. I can't just... stay away from her." The thoughts alone were enough to drive me mad.

"What you really mean is you don't want to stay away from her, right?"

"No," I answered without hesitation. "I don't wanna stay away from her."

"Because you're in love with her..." Julie trailed off.

She looked at me with disgust when I didn't deny what she had just said. I think in her heart of hearts, Julie knew how I really felt. I despised myself for not being able to stop loving Bella; I despised myself because I knew I was hurting Julie.

The sound of the bathroom door closing, shutting me out, brought me back to reality. I held my breath when I realized I was alone. I felt so damn guilty as I sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Julie to return.

This entire situation was cruel, but I knew I couldn't let it go on any longer. If I allowed myself to stay in a relationship with Julie, it was only going to cause her more pain.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she was holding an overnight bag. Without a word, she began rambling around the room, randomly throwing things inside.

I sat quietly and watched. A part of me felt relief, knowing she would soon be leaving, and this charade of a relationship would finally be over. Another part of me felt horrible as I watched tears roll down her cheeks; I was the reason she was hurting.

"Julie, I'm sorry."

She never uttered a word as she angrily rushed past me, continuing to throw things inside the bag. Her silence was unsettling, frustrating. I wanted to express my apologies, but I knew nothing I could say would make the pain go away. I didn't want Julie to hate me. I didn't want her to think she meant absolutely nothing to me.

"My intentions were never to hurt you."

"Well, you did," she finally replied in a livid tone. "You used me, Edward... and now you're tossing me aside like a piece of trash. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I know, and I'm sorry." I stood to my feet, stepping in front of her. "But I didn't use you. I really thought we had something special... things changed."

"Then why can't we fix this?" Fresh tears mixed with hope flashed in her eyes, making me wish a thousand times over I had just kept my mouth shut, and let her hate me.

"You know we can't fix this."

"Because you're in love with Bella." She tossed the overnight bag on the bed and paced a few steps in front of me. "If you love her so damn much, then why can't you say it?"

She stood her ground, challenging me, calling me out. She was frantic, willing me to say the words I knew would hurt her to the core. Why did she need to hear me say it?

"Say it, Edward!"

"I can't help how I feel, Julie."

"Dammit, Edward! Just say it!" She pushed me backwards a few steps and then ran her hands along the top of the dresser, knocking almost everything off.

"Fine!" My anger mirrored hers when I saw my belongings broken and scattered on the floor. "You wanna hear me say it?" My voice was laced in hostility. My face within inches of hers. "I'm in love with Bella. I guess, a part of me has always been in love with Bella, and I can't fucking help it. I tried to stop loving her; I tried to make things work with you, but it's just not working anymore. I'm sorry... I'm sorry you have to be the one to get hurt here, but it is what it is, Julie, and I can't change how I feel."

Her eyes were burning with rage as she stared up at me. Her tiny form was trembling as she stood in front of me. Drawing her hand back, she quickly smacked me across the face, with all her might.

My cheek felt like it was on fire as I towered over her, now mad as hell. Rough, hard breaths were shaking my entire body. With one hit, I could have surely hurt Julie, but I had never hit a woman, and didn't plan to now. As angry as I was, part of me understood. She was hurt; she was hurting because of me. I deserved it. I was the one who caused her this pain, and I got exactly what I deserved.

When I turned to leave, Julie grabbed my arm, but I forcefully jerked it away. "Don't touch me."

"Edward, wait!"

"I'm going," I said with my back to her. "Finish collecting your things. I'll see you out."

"We can fix this!" she yelled from behind, causing me to stop dead in my tracks and slowly face her.

"Are you insane? I just told you I'm in love with someone else. Why would you even wanna be with a man who loves another woman? You deserve better than that, Julie."

"Because, Edward, I love you. And I know if you'd just try, we can get past this; we can work through it. If you keep your distance from Bella, you'll eventually get closure, and we'll be able to move on... all of us."

I stood in amazement as she spoke; she was serious. I didn't know how in the hell to feel. I was still furious from being hit, obviously. I was saddened because I knew I was causing Julie to act this way; I had never seen her so desperate or so weak. I was mad at her, and at the same time, I felt sorry for her.

 _This has to end now._

"Julie, I don't wanna keep my distance from Bella." My voice was both irritated and sad. "You and I are going in circles here. If you'd just step back and look at how things really are between us, you'd see it too. We have the same fight every day... over Bella. But that's not even the point anymore. The point is, I'm in a relationship with you while I'm in love with her. Things between us can never work. I'm sorry I didn't realize any of this sooner. I'm sorry you had to get hurt."

"But they can work... if you'll just try." Her voice was hoarse, powerless. "And what if Bella doesn't want the same things as you? What if she doesn't love you the way you love her?"

"You let me worry about that. It doesn't matter how Bella feels about me. I'm trying to be honest here; I'm trying like hell to do the right thing."

"So hurting me is the right thing to do?"

"Letting you go is the right thing to do."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Edward?"

"I should have. I wished I had, but I was in denial myself." I took a long, deep breath, sitting back down on the bed. "I convinced myself I could get past what I felt for Bella. I truly believed I could make things work with you, but I can't, and it's not fair to you, to me, to anyone."

Julie stood in silence for a long moment; her eyes fixed on the ground. Her lips formed into a frown as she quietly walked over and sat down next to me.

"This really is over," she finally said.

"I know."

"I feel like such a damn fool." Slow tears spilled from her eyes, and she calmly wiped them away.

"I hate that you were the one who got hurt."

"I hate it too." A sad smile was now on her lips. "I'm sorry."

"No, Julie. I'm the one who's sorry. None of this is your fault."

"I shouldn't have hit you."

I smiled in understanding. "I deserved it."

"No, Edward, you really didn't. Like you said, you can't help how you feel. Truth be told, I should have walked away when we arrived back here. I saw the way you looked at her at the coffee house; I saw the way she looked at you. Your face lights up when she enters the room."

A sad smile formed on her lips, and I wanted to hug her in an attempt to comfort her, but I knew that was a bad idea. I just wanted this all to be over.

"I noticed how you would pull away from me when you saw her. I guess, in a way, I've known all along I was treading on sacred ground, and I should have accepted it and walked away."

Every word she was saying was the truth. I had no idea how to reply to her words, so I didn't. We sat in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

Slowly raking her hand across the bed, Julie snatched the overnight bag and hugged it close to her chest. "I'll finish collecting my things, and I'll be out in a minute."

I tightly smiled with a nod as I stood. "I'm sorry, Julie."

She gazed up at me. Her eyes were no longer angry, but instead, defeat and devastation stared back at me. I walked away.

I stood uncomfortably and quietly as I waited for Julie in the living room. There were so many mixed emotions stirring inside of me, but I knew I had done the right thing.

Julie's words came flooding back, " _What if Bella doesn't want the same things as you? What if she doesn't love you the way you love her?_ "

"I guess this is it." Julie was now fully dressed, and had the small overnight bag at her side.

I frowned as I approached her. One last goodbye and Julie will be gone forever.

We walked in silence toward the door. I slightly stepped back, giving her space when her fingers wrapped around the knob.

With her hand still on the doorknob, Julie placed a small, awkward kiss on my cheek. "Goodbye, Edward."

She never gave me a chance to speak as she hurriedly crossed the threshold, and darted toward the elevator. I gently closed the door, staring at it for a long moment.

"Goodbye, Julie."

I felt sad; I just let a wonderful woman walk out of my life. I felt better; I knew I had done the right thing. I felt overwhelmed when I thought about Bella. I was a free man now, and nothing was standing in the way of me telling Bella how I felt.

 **We need to talk. - Edward.**

I hit send and tossed my phone on the sofa before I walked over to the window and gazed up toward Bella's apartment. There were no lights on, so I waited... and waited.

The dirty deed was done; it was over. Julie was no longer in the picture.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing. I have been unable to reply to you guys because of threshold issues. Hughes Net and their thresholds, gotta love it.

And now you have Edward's POV on things. I hope you guys have some better insight with how Edward feels. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them :)

A big thank you to my beta, Songster, and my C-Mo. Thank you both for all of your help! I'd be lost without you two.

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	10. May I cut in?

**.**

 **May I cut in?**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **We need to talk. - Edward.**

The text had been sent the previous evening. I held my phone for several minutes, staring at the screen, reading it over and over. Four simple words that gave away absolutely nothing.

 **Okay... where are you?** __ **\- B**

I waited and waited. No reply.

 _Maybe he's busy._

 _"Don't you get it, Bella? You're the one person I could never hate... even if I tried."_ His words came flooding back. _"I know what I have to do."_

"Ready?" Rose asked as she emerged from the bedroom with her purse thrown over her shoulder.

"Yeah." I grabbed my bag as she, Alice and I made our way to the door. It was Saturday morning and the three of us had a fun-filled day planned.

I tried not to think about Edward or his detailed text as we went from boutique to boutique, shopping. But it was hard to stay focused considering my conversation with him, and now his text. I quickly checked my phone again, still no reply.

 _We need to talk..._ The worst-case scenario, Edward was going to stay away from me, as Julie requested. Although it would hurt like hell, I can't say I'd blame him. I was causing problems in his relationship with her.

I had been looking forward to going out tonight. I had even been looking forward to getting to know Tyler better. But now everything had changed, completely, and I wanted to cancel my date with Tyler. A part of me wanted to cancel going out altogether.

After champagne and strawberries, and manicures and pedicures, we headed to one of Alice's favorite salons. I was twenty minutes in collaboration with the stylist before finally agreeing to let him cut a few inches from my hair. It had gotten really long, and it had been months since I had trimmed it.

Alice, Rose and I sat side by side as the stylist worked their magic. Alice had decided to go shorter than her usual pixie cut, and Rose wanted big, bouncy, golden curls.

Glancing over toward Rose, I cleared my throat to get her attention. "I think I'm gonna cancel tonight."

"What?" She gently pushed the stylist out of her way so she could have a better view of me. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm exhausted."

"You're exhausted?" Rose suspiciously questioned. "You can nap. We have plenty of time."

"It just doesn't feel right, Rose," I replied.

"Bella, tonight is going to be fun. You have to be there; you need to be there." She pushed a golden lock of hair over her shoulder and smiled. "I have a feeling tonight is going to be unforgettable."

"I don't know," I sighed. "I'm not sure about this whole dating thing now. I need to talk to Tyler and tell him I'm definitely not looking for anything beyond a friendship."

"I'm sure he'll understand. That doesn't mean you have to skip out on us. May I ask what's changed?"

"Bella talked to Edward." Alice joined the conversation.

"About?"

"The past. Julie, who by the way, asked me to stay away from Edward."

"What did Edward say?" Rose asked.

"He said a lot of things. He made it perfectly clear he was happy with Julie... until I showed up."

"So he's no longer happy with her?"

"I have no idea. He said he didn't know how to feel. And he texted me last night and said we needed to talk. I've tried reaching him all day, but he's not answering."

"Edward has been working at the club all day," Alice said. "His phone is probably dead or turned off. I honestly don't know why he even has a phone; he never charges it, and when he does, he leaves it turned off."

"Do you know what he wants to talk about?"

"I haven't a clue. I talked to him briefly last night. He mostly talked about the club." Alice ran her fingers through her new hair and smiled at the stylist. "I wouldn't worry too much though. I don't think it's anything bad."

"I just wish I knew what he wanted," I said in frustration. "What if Julie has finally convinced him that staying away from me is the only way they can be together?"

"That's not gonna happen, Bella. Trust me, I know my brother. He'd never agree to that. Personally, I think Julie is on her way out the door. She has become too possessive and controlling."

"If he decides to work things out with Julie, I will respect their relationship... even if it means staying away from him."

Once we were back at the apartment, I tried calling Edward instead of texting. When his voicemail picked up, I tossed my phone on the bed, and proceeded to get ready. Alice was probably right, either his phone was dead or turned off. Does he never check his phone?

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

"These are for you." Tyler handed me a dozen yellow roses when I opened the door.

Yellow roses, the rose of friendship; a platonic friendship without the romantic gesture. Thank God for yellow roses.

"Thank you." I smiled in appreciation as I waved him inside.

"Tic toc, people. We had better be going." Emmett pointed to his watch.

"You look beautiful," Rose whispered as we were making our way downstairs. Destination: Club Cullen.

"I feel naked." I straightened the very short, black mini-skirt Alice picked out during our shopping trip.

"You look amazing," she assured with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Rose." I returned her smile. "You look pretty amazing yourself."

"I agree." Emmett winked, draping his arm over Rose's shoulder, and she looked up at him adoringly. I swore, then and there, there was definitely something between those two.

"Where's Edward?" I overheard Jasper ask Alice, and my stomach suddenly felt like it was in knots.

"He's meeting us there," she answered. "He has been working all day at the club."

"So are we taking cabs or walking?" Rose asked as everyone stood on the sidewalk, discussing transportation.

Tyler stepped closer to where I stood. He was staring down at me with a boyish grin plastered on his perfect, full lips.

"What?"

"You look gorgeous." His green eyes were shining under the city lights. If anything, Tyler was even more handsome than I had remembered. Unfortunately, though, my every thought was haunted by ice-blue eyes.

"You look really nice too," I replied, looking over his Docker cargo pants with a white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He looked like he was ready for a night out on the town. Tyler moved and spoke with confidence. Normally, I would find that very attractive in the opposite sex. However, it was hard to appreciate anything in the opposite sex when all I could think about was Edward.

An innocence smile flashed across Tyler's face, filling me with guilt for keeping this date. I needed a night of dancing and easy, no-strings- attached kind of fun, but that was as far as I wanted to go... with Tyler anyway.

Who was I kidding? I could already feel the awkwardness, and we weren't even at the club yet.

 _Do I tell Tyler now or later I'm not looking for anything serious?_ I opted for later when I saw the cabs pulling up.

We arrived at Club Cullen, and I immediately noticed the ridiculously long line waiting outside. Rose wasn't kidding when she said Edward had one of the trendiest clubs in town; the line was endless.

We followed behind Alice as she passed everyone in line, outside the thick, red rope. A huge smile grew across the doorman's face when she greeted him. After a few moments of chit chat, he unlocked the red rope, allowing us inside.

Tyler took my hand as we crossed the threshold, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I was nervous to the point of losing my breath. My eyes scanned the crowd for Edward.

It wasn't terribly shocking that the music was blasting. My anxious heart thumping along with the fast beat.

"This way!" Alice yelled out as we continued following her.

She led us through the crowd and toward the bottom of a stairwell where a bouncer stood guard. Another friendly greeting, and we were soon making our way upstairs. On the way up, Alice explained to us that Edward had just finished the VIP section, and he would be meeting us there.

When Edward had showed me the club, he didn't take me upstairs. He never mentioned anything about a VIP section at all; this was news to me.

Level two of the nightclub was very upscale and the decor matched much of the first level. Surrounded by a railing, the entire center was open with a view of flashing lights and the club below.

Blue walls surrounded us. Both paintings and mirrors spread throughout. However, level two was even more elegant as wooden chairs encircled round tables covered with fiery red cloths.

"Mr. Cullen has been expecting you." The host graciously walked us to our table.

Once we were seated, he informed us his name was Chandler as he handed out cutting-edge cocktail menus. He took our drink orders and soon left.

"This place is amazing," I told Alice and Rose, who both nodded.

"Edward is thinking of adding a restaurant to this area in the near future. If he decides to go through with it, he promised me the position of head chef."

"I thought you enjoyed working at Javu."

"I do. I love my job, but what chef wouldn't jump at a chance to be head chef?"

"I have waited a long time to see this VIP section." Rose glanced around, waving to those whom she knew.

"You've never been up here?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head. "Edward wouldn't let any of us see this level until it was finished."

"Here's to a fabulous night... with good friends." Alice held up her glass as soon as they were placed on our table.

"Cheers." We all clinked our glasses together, and I saw Edward approaching us... alone.

He was wearing black slacks with a black button-down shirt, top three buttons open. Toting a bottle of water in one hand while running the other hand through his disheveled hair.

My first thought was how incredibly handsome he looked. There were simply no words to describe just how gorgeous Edward Cullen was. However, my next thought revolved around where his sidekick was. It was very unlike Julie not to be hovering over him.

I swallowed thickly as butterflies churned in my stomach. Edward and I hadn't spoken since the day before, and a sea of uncertainty was still lingering over us.

"It's every bit as amazing as I knew it would be," Alice said as she hugged her brother.

"I feel like royalty." Emmett chuckled, tipping his glass in Edward's direction.

"I'm glad you all made it," Edward replied, his eyes landing on me.

"Bella," he greeted with a charming smile as he looked back and forth from me to Tyler. "I'm glad you're getting to see the club in full-swing."

"Me too." I nervously sipped from the wine glass.

"Where's Julie?" Emmett asked, and just by the mentioning of her name, I felt queasy.

Edward groaned in frustration, completely ignoring Emmett's question. "Come check out the view."

When everyone stood, Tyler took my hand, once again, as we made our way over to the railing. Edward watched us closely; his eyes falling upon our conjoined hands, and I wanted to pull away.

"Oh my," I whispered as I slightly moved away from Tyler, placing both hands on the railing. I may have been attempting a fake scare of heights, but my head really was spinning.

"You okay?" Tyler asked, placing his hand on the small of my back. I glanced toward Edward, who thankfully was pointing things out to Jasper and Emmett, and didn't notice us.

"I'm fine. I think I need to sit back down."

"Scared of heights?"

"Umm." I attempted a smile sitting back down at the table.

This is gonna be a long night. I already knew I was going to be a lousy date, and that really wasn't fair to Tyler.

"Tyler, may I be completely honest with you?"

"Please do."

"I'm not looking for anything serious," I nervously explained. "I mean, not that you have said or done anything to imply us becoming serious. It's just... I'm kind of going through some things right now."

Tyler leaned back in his chair as a long stretch of awkward silence fell between us. He drank from his wine glass as he watched me carefully.

"I get it." He finally smiled in understanding. "I'm not really looking for anything serious either. But may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What's the deal with Cullen?"

"What do you mean?"

"The way he looks at you... did you guys date?"

"We share a rather long and complicated past," I answered. "I'd rather not go into detail."

"I understand completely," he said, and a wave of relief flooded over me. "But you and I can still be friends, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to." I took Tyler's hand as we headed back downstairs.

Now that I had been completely honest with him, it was easier to be around him. I effortlessly relaxed knowing Tyler wouldn't be expecting anything from me, other than friendship.

As he and I were dancing, the gang joined us, except for Edward. I figured he was off somewhere with Julie, or perhaps taking care of business. It was taking everything inside of me not to think of him. However, after a few drinks and a few dances, I realized I was actually enjoying myself.

When a slow song began to play, Tyler held open his arms. I smiled, walking into his embrace. We waltzed in rhythm, not too close, but not too ridiculously far apart.

I was lost in the music; my eyes were closed when I heard someone ask, "May I cut in?"

"Of course," Tyler answered, and my eyes shot open.

My entire body went stiff when I realized Tyler was handing me off to Edward. My breathing increased when Edward placed his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him, a lot closer than I had been with Tyler.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I scanned the room for any sight of Julie. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea."

"Oh, why not?" Edward playfully gazed down at me. His crystal, clear-blue eyes shimmered; rendering me breathless.

"What if Julie sees us?" I tried to put some space between us.

"That's not gonna happen." He pulled me back into his arms and started swaying to the music once again.

"I got your text," I told him. "I tried calling you, but I got your voicemail."

"Sorry about that. It's been a crazy day."

"You said we needed to talk."

"We do, but right now, Bella, I just wanna dance with you."

I didn't reply as I brushed my fingers across the back of his neck, and my entire body relaxed against him. This felt right; a soothing calmness came over me as I lay my head on his chest. Everything Edward was - everything he had ever been - was pulling me closer to him.

Anticipation coursed throughout my entire body when Edward stopped dancing and stared down at me. Without a word, he took my hand and led us toward the back of the club.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we started down a narrow hallway.

"To my office." He unlocked the black, steel door, and we stepped inside.

I could feel the effects of my alcohol consumption kicking in, or perhaps it was my nerves, when the huge door slammed shut. There was no one around, only us. Edward's eyes peered into mine with only the sound of light music thumping through the thick walls.

"Did you plan this?" I asked when "Hanging by a Moment" began to play.

"Maybe." His voice was seductive, raspy as his eyes raked over me.

"What about Julie?" I nervously asked.

"I broke up with Julie."

Adrenaline coursed through my veins when I realized there was now nothing standing in our way. Tears of sheer joy filled my eyes, and I wanted to smile, but the moment was too intense.

Licking his lips, Edward closed the space between us. His eyes willing me to step backwards until my back was against the wall. He softly ran his fingertips across my cheek, and then down my throat. I wanted to close my eyes, and be immersed into his fiery touch, but for the life of me, I couldn't look away.

In an instant, he took both of my wrists into one of his hands and pinned them above my head. Without permission, he placed his lips on mine and kissed me slowly.

 _Falling..._

 _Falling..._

 _Falling..._

The moment was even more incredible than I had ever dreamed. His lips were softer and sweeter than I had remembered. His touch better than anything I had ever imagined. If it were possible, I was falling even more in love with him.

Remembering our first kiss, I struggled to free my hands. The need to touch him was too overwhelming; I needed to touch him more than I needed my next breath.

Edward freed my hands, and I roughly grabbed his shoulders; pulling him even closer; kissing him even harder. He moaned into my mouth as I grabbed a fist-full of his hair and lightly pulled.

"Bella..." He broke our kiss, panting.

"Don't stop," I told him, capturing his lips once more.

"You are, and always have been, mine," he said in between soft kisses. "And this time, I'm not letting you get away so easily."

"I don't want you to." I held onto him as if he were my lifeline; he was my lifeline.

I shivered, although I wasn't cold. My forehead resting against his as we gazed into each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry for everything..." Edward stopped my apology by placing his lips back on mine.

He lifted his head with a sigh. "No looking back, Bella, or dwelling on what we could have done differently. From here on out, it's you and me." His jaw clenched then soon relaxed.

For nine long years, I had suffered in vain; I had caused Edward to suffer in vain. Selfishly, I made a decision to end us before we ever had a chance to begin, and I'd regret that decision forever. But in that moment, none of it mattered. The mistakes seemed so small compared to how it felt to finally have him in my arms.

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for all the support I receive on this story. I know I may sound like a broken record, but I truly do appreciate my readers, and I want you to know that.

Thank you to my wonderful beta, Songster and my PDF Queen, C-Mo...

I wanted to let you guys know that I have some personal issues going on right now. However, I will try with everything in me not to let these issues effect my writing and updating :)

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	11. He's Her Lobster

**.**

 **He's Her Lobster!**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

I awoke a little groggy on Sunday morning. Considering I had spend the night before dancing and drinking, and collapsed from exhaustion as soon as I reached my bed, it was no great wonder.

The sun's warm glow now filled the room as I replayed the previous night over and over in my head. It happened so perfectly, it almost didn't seem real. Had Edward not been lying next to me, I would have probably been questioning whether or not it happened at all.

 _You are, and always have been, mine_. He couldn't have spoke more truer words. _No looking back, Bella, or dwelling on what we could have done differently. From here on out, it's you and me_. I smiled at the idea of it just being him and me from here on out.

My thoughts were back and forth from the past to the future, and to the present. And presently, I was gazing over at the most gorgeous man in New York.

I carefully studied every feature of his handsome face while he lay peacefully, lost in his dreams. A ghost of a smile tugged at his slightly parted lips, and I wondered what he was dreaming. Gently, I trailed my fingertips over the muscles of his arm, watching his chest slowly rise and fall. When I looked back up to his face, his eyes were open, watching me with a boyish smile.

"Good morning." Sheer happiness literally sparkled in his eyes, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded within. I loved that it was me making him this happy for a change.

"Good morning."

"You were watching me sleep." He pulled me into the crook of his arm.

"You were smiling."

"I'm happy." A perfect, crooked grin overtook his lips as his arm automatically tightened around my waist. "I can get used to this. Waking up every morning next to you."

"Me too." I snuggled closer against him. "What are your plans for today?"

"So far... lying in bed with you all day."

"Sounds good to me."

I felt like I was on top of the world. There were simply no words to describe how grateful I was, not just to have Edward back in my life, but by my side; in my bed.

Three things I was absolutely sure of. First, Edward was with me; the timing was finally on our side. Second, there was absolutely nothing standing in our way; Julie was gone. And third, there was no other place I'd rather be than in Edward's arms; I was home.

My blood pounded in my veins when Edward softly ran his fingers along my lower back. I was finding it harder and harder to breathe when he began massaging the exposed flesh of my stomach.

"Breathe Bella." His eyes peered into mine. "This is okay, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Good." He pushed my tank-top further up and continued massaging both my stomach and my side. He ran his nose along my jawline, deeply inhaling. "I love touching your skin."

My entire body ached for him. It had been so long since I had been touched. I had never really wanted to be touched by another man since that night on Lake Sunapee with Edward.

My entire relationship with James was an act. A day to day kind of thing. I usually gave into James to get him off my back, and I couldn't wait for him to get the hell off of me. But with Edward, I couldn't get close enough. With just the simplest touch, I craved more. I had never desired to fulfill a man's desires the way I did Edward.

Swiftly, he placed his mouth on mine, his tongue plunging between my lips. This time, it was his breathing that picked up as he moaned into my mouth, deepening our kiss.

Tugging at my tank-top, he quickly pulled it over my head before placing his lips back on mine. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath while his hands eagerly explored. I was so lost in the moment, in our kiss, his sensual caress, I was falling hard, fast and completely out of my own control.

"Do you want me to stop?" His lips brushed against my ear.

"No," I answered, and he moved us so that I was lying beneath him.

"You sure?"

"I've never been more sure." I dove both hands into his already disheveled hair, grabbing handfuls as I pulled his lips back to mine.

I could still smell the fragrance of his musky scent from last night as I kissed along his neck and chest. Dragging one finger down his solid chest, I stopped where his pants were unbuttoned.

Very quickly Edward removed the rest of my clothing, placing a chaste kiss to my hip bone before wedging a thigh between mine. My eyes bore into his as sheer desire stared back at me.

"It seems like I've waited forever for this." He placed feather-like kisses along my collarbone and shoulders while lining himself with my body.

"Me too." I struggled with my conscience, regret from the past, and wondering how differently our lives could have been had I told him how I really felt that evening in his room, so many years ago. "I never stopped loving you, Edward."

"I never stopped loving you."A haunted expression flashed across his face. "I learned to live without you, but I never really felt complete with anyone else."

"I wish I could undo it all. To just go back to that evening in your room..." I could feel tears pooling in my eyes, and I fought hard to keep them from falling.

"Stop," he pleaded. "Remember what I said last night, no looking back. What's done is done. The past is unchangeable, no disillusions, no regret. We've found our way back to one another and that's all that matters now."

"You're right." I smiled. "I'm sorry. From this moment forward, I will not dwell in the past. Because this is all I've ever really wanted... you."

"Good." He kissed the tip of my nose with a smile of his own. "You ready?"

"More than you know," I answered.

Oh God... he was so huge and hard, it nearly took my breath away. He began moving his hips, pushing himself in and out as his breathing became labored. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as I met his thrusts. He was gorgeous, and all mine. This heart-wrenchingly beautiful hurricane of a man was really mine; it felt surreal.

A sheen of sweat covered his smooth skin as his face twisted in pleasure. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. The satisfaction alone was driving me crazy, pushing me further and further to the edge.

"Fuck," he growled, throwing his head back.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

Edward sat with his back against the headboard of my bed, and I sat between his legs with my head against his chest. Our fingers were laced together as we quietly watched the sun fading from the dark purple and orange sky. The tall buildings surrounding us seemed to glimmer and twinkle. A whole city of people beneath us, going to and fro, yet it was as if he and I were the only two people in the entire city.

We had spent the entire day in my bed, making love. There was something to be said for that man's stamina. Finally being with Edward, in that way, was far better than anything I had ever imagined.

I didn't want to think of work the next day or anything else other than us. I never wanted to leave my room, or my bed. I could have spent the rest of my life right there in Edward's arms, and I would have been content for all of eternity.

"Do you think they've figured it out?"

"Who?" he asked.

"Rose, Em, Jasper and Alice," I answered. "Do you think they know... about us?"

"Alice definitely knows," he replied. "Alice knew I was gonna talk to you... about us."

"That little sneak." I laughed. "She knew the whole time yesterday and didn't say a word."

"I asked her not to." He pulled my hair to the side, and placed a soft kiss on my shoulder. "I wanted to talk to you Friday night. I waited up half the night for you to reply."

"I had been avoiding my mother's calls; my phone was turned off. I never got your text until the next morning. I tried reaching you all day yesterday."

"Yeah, I know. Our timing is impeccable, huh?" He chuckled, rubbing his bare legs against mine.

One hot, steamy shower later, Edward and I were headed to Central Perk, hand in hand. I was mesmerized by the depth of happiness shining in his eyes; I had never seen his eyes shine so bright. It was such an exhilarating feeling, knowing it was because of me.

Before crossing the threshold at the coffee house, I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Edward to look back toward me. His gaze chilled me to the bone.

"We're officially telling our friends."

"I'd say our friends already know."

"This is huge, bookworm."

"Bookworm?" he questioned. "I haven't been called that since... you called me that."

I found it both exciting and strange that Edward and I were going to hang out in front of our friends as a couple. Alice for sure already knew. I was thrilled the world would now know Edward and I were together. I honestly wanted to climb the Empire State Building and shout it out to all of New York.

"Come on." He wrapped his arm around my waist, and we stepped inside.

Rose was the first to spot us, then Alice. They smiled as we approached. When Edward sat down and I sat on his lap, Jasper and Emmett both looked toward us. The sight of them staring at us made me snicker.

"He's her lobster." Rose blurted out with a huge grin, and all eyes landed on her. "It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life," she further explained... I think.

"O-kay." Alice shot her a confused smile and then her eyes darted back to us. "So, it's official? You two are together... together?"

"You're dating?" Emmett added, and I nodded. "When did this happen?"

"Right before my high school graduation, I told Bella I was in love with her and nine years later, here we are," Edward playfully answered.

"Not funny." I pouted.

"It was funnier in my head. Sorry."

"Not to steal your thunder... but Rose and I have an announcement too," Emmett said.

"We already know, you guys are sleeping together." Alice rolled her eyes.

"How did you know?" Emmett questioned.

"I've seen you sneaking out of our apartment more than once."

"We're more than sleeping together, Alice... Emmett." Rose narrowed her eyes on the both of them. "We're very much in love."

"Yes," Emmett agreed, smiling adoringly at Rose. "That too."

"Congratulations to you all... for coming out of the closet as non-gay couples." Jasper jumped to his feet and dashed away.

"What's his problem?" Emmett asked Alice.

"Why are you asking me?" Alice defended. "I don't know."

"It's actually a pretty wonderful thing when friendship turns into more," Jasper said as he turned and walked back toward us. "And both people are able to admit their real feelings."

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about?" Emmett asked.

Jasper stood for a few seconds staring at him. "You know what? It doesn't even matter. Please excuse my mood. I meant it when I said congratulations to you guys."

"Excuse me." Alice harshly placed her coffee mug on the table and headed toward the restrooms.

I was baffled. Rose shot me a confused look before she and I took off after Alice.

"What the hell just happened out there?" Rose asked as soon as we stepped inside the restroom and saw Alice gazing into the mirror.

"It's complicated."

"I'm sure Bella and I can keep up. We're smart girls."

"Rose..." Alice sighed.

"Alice, is something going on between you and Jasper?"

"No!" Alice answered in a loud tone. "You know I just broke up with Richard."

"Over a year ago."

"Wait. Who's Richard?" I asked.

"Richard is Alice's ex. She met him while catering an event at his home. Alice was quite smitten with the tall, rich, handsome doctor. But he treated her like crap. Richard was much older than Alice, and he had an ex-wife and three children. The two of them dated for..." Rose trailed off.

"Almost two years," Alice took over. "We dated for almost two years. I invested so much into that relationship just to have Richard to tell me he had decided to work things out with his ex-wife."

"When Alice told Richard she wanted more, like a marriage and a family of her own, Richard left her and went back to his ex-wife."

"Ouch," I said. "I'm sorry, Al. Are you still not over him?"

"I'm very much over him... I think," Alice answered, whirling around to face us. "No, I know I'm over him. He was a douche-bag, and it was his loss."

"But why are you and Jasper acting so strange?" Rose walked over toward the sink where Alice stood.

"Because Jasper admitted he had feelings for me."

"And you don't feel the same?"

"I don't know... maybe."

"Alice, if you feel something for Jasper, you have to tell him," I chimed in. "I mean, learn from my mistakes."

"It's not that easy, Bella. I can't risk my friendship with Jasper. If something happens, and he and I don't work out, I'll be losing one of my best friends. And I care entirely too much for him to let that happen." Alice paused. "I lost Richard and that's okay. Getting over Richard was one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life, but I did it. I could never get over Jasper; I never wanna lose Jasper."

"Alice, you're doing exactly what I did nine years ago - you're ending things with Jasper before they ever begin."

"I'm sorry, I don't see it that way. What you have with Edward, and what Rose has with Em is different than what I have with Jasper."

"Really, Alice, it's not so different," Rose said.

"Really, Rose, it is. I made a promise to myself after Richard and I broke up. I swore I would never allow another man the power to break my heart... Jasper has the power to do that."

"So you're afraid of getting hurt?"

"I've had three real relationships since high school. The first two guys cheated on me, then Richard, and I just can't put myself through that again... not with Jasper; he's too important."

"But it's not fair to hold back on what you feel for Jasper because of a couple of creeps. Jasper didn't break your heart, Al. You can't hold him accountable for another man's crime."

"Like I said, it's complicated." She quickly brushed away the tears running down her cheeks. "As long as Jasper and I don't act on our feelings, no one will get hurt, and we can continue being friends. I won't ever lose him."

"And I don't see it your way either, Alice," Rose said. "Because you and Jasper are hurting, and you're going to continue to hurt as long as you fight against what you really feel."

"Look, can I just handle this one on my own? Please." Alice angrily splashed water onto her face and grabbed a paper towel. "I'm happy that the two of you have found Edward and Emmett, and the four of you are gonna ride off into the sunset, and live happily ever after. But it's just not in the cards for Jasper and me... so let it go."

Alice tossed the paper towel into the trash and slammed the bathroom door open. Rose and I were speechless as we stared at one another.

"Well." Rose turned and took a quick glimpse in the mirror. "That was..."

"Weird," I answered.

"Very unlike our usual perky, happy Alice."

"On another note, I'm very happy for you and Emmett."

"No, no. We're talking about you and Edward first."

"You pretty much know everything."

"When did he break up with Julie?"

"He didn't," I answered and Rose's eyes grew wide. "Yeah, I'm kinda dating the both of them. You know? A threesome."

"We don't like Julie, remember?"

"Rose, I'm kidding." I laughed. "Edward broke up with her Friday night. We talked last night while at the club. By the way, does Tyler hate me?"

"Absolutely not. He was very understanding. After you and Edward ran off, he waited around for you. When he figured out you weren't coming back, he told me to give you his best wishes and then he left."

"I feel so bad for leaving him without explaining things."

"He knew." Rose winked with a smile. "He'll be fine."

"It wasn't like we were dating or anything... or at least, that's what I keep telling myself."

"Where did you guys go last night?"

"We talked in Edward's office, and then we took a back exit and headed back to the apartment."

"He spent the night, didn't he?"

"He did... but nothing happened," I explained and Rose shot me a questioning look. "Well, nothing happened last night."

"Morning sex!" She threw her head back in laughter. "It's the best."

"Let's go, crazy girl." I held open the door for her.

When we returned back to the gang, Edward and Emmett were sitting alone. Both Jasper and Alice were gone, and my heart ached for Alice. It was clear she had feelings for Jasper, and I knew firsthand what the consequences were when fighting against what you really feel. I could only hope my friend would soon come to her senses, and not have to endure the same consequences I had.

* * *

 **A/N**

I say it every time, and by damn, I'll say it again - I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you so much for the reviews, the private chats, both questions and advice. I love reading your replies :)

A big huge (and even SUPER) thank you to my wonderful beta, Songster. She has truly helped in keeping me grounded on this one. I'm learning and growing so much as a writer because of her. I hope she knows, I am beyond grateful for her. And thank you to my awesome C-Mo, and this time, for simply being you.

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	12. Uh-Oh Busted!

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 **Uh-Oh... Busted!  
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I hadn't been camping in years. Actually, I hadn't been camping since the last time I went with the Cullen family, my sophomore year of high school. The gang and I decided to head to _Lake George Escape_ for a mini-vacation to celebrate Labor Day weekend, so I was pretty excited. Carlisle and Esme owned an RV parked on one of the private campsites and allowed us to use it for the entire weekend.

The car ride there was exhausting, but never a dull moment with us singing ninety's hits and Emmett telling corny, dirty jokes. The very best part was sitting so close to Edward, holding his hand, and stealing occasional glances and kisses.

One three-hour drive later, we reached the Adirondack Mountains for a fun-filled weekend. Thus started my first vacation with Edward, as a couple.

As soon as I stepped out of the SUV, I sharply inhaled the cool, crisp mountain air; it was so invigorating, and such a nice change from the city. The towering forests surrounding us reminded me so much of New Hampshire. For a split-second, I felt homesick; it made me miss Charlie.

"You okay?" Edward asked as we were unloading the SUV.

"I'm fine. Just thinking of my dad and New Hampshire."

"This place reminds me of New Hampshire too." He threw the bag strap over his shoulder and smiled.

"I miss it sometimes."

"Me too." Edward placed the last of our luggage inside the RV. "We should plan a trip back home to visit your dad."

"He'd love that."

"I have a question," Jasper announced, walking across the pavement, loaded down with bags. "Why do women need to pack so much stuff for one weekend?"

"Hey, now, I only packed three bags," I answered. "And one is work related, so it doesn't count."

"I thought we agreed no work this weekend?" Edward asked.

"I just have to go over a couple of fashion reports and sketches. Angela wants a prototype of the winter attire on her desk no later than Wednesday."

"Would you like a tour of the RV?" He changed the subject.

"Yes, please." I followed Edward inside.

I was utterly taken aback at how spacious the inside was. Everything was so bright and open, nothing like I had imaged. Elegant, light-oak cabinets lined the walls, and there was wood flooring throughout. Esme's personal touch of bright reds and creams where spread about, giving the entire place a more intimate and cozy feeling.

"This place is incredible," I said as Edward led us down the narrow hallway and up a small staircase.

He pushed the wooden doors to the master bedroom open. "And this is were you and I will be sleeping."

"It's gorgeous." I glanced at the huge sleigh-bed covered with a red and pale-yellow plaid quilt.

Images of lying next to Edward on the bed danced in my head. Hesitantly, I walked over and ran my hand over the soft quilt. "We get the master bedroom?"

"Well, in all fairness, it was my idea to come up here for the weekend." Edward playfully grinned. "And I was the one who called my parents and asked if we could use the place... so, yeah, we should get the master bedroom."

"And the others will share the other bedroom?"

"No. Rose and Emmett will get the guest bedroom. Alice gets the couch. It pulls out into a queen-sized bed."

"And Jasper?"

"He can bunk with Alice," he answered with a shrug.

"I don't know if that's such a great idea."

"And why not?" he asked.

"Jasper kinda told Alice he had feelings for her."

"Well, that explains all the tension at the coffee house the other day. What's Alice saying?"

"I think Alice has feelings for him too," I told him. "But she won't admit it."

"Well, their personal affairs are their problem. I wanted this trip to happen so I could spend some time with you. Alice can work out her own sleeping arrangements."

"If she has a problem bunking with Jasper, I can bunk with her instead," I offered.

"Over my dead body." Edward kicked the door shut and pulled me by the wrists, landing us on the bed.

We kissed until our lips felt swollen. I watched his jawline tighten and his eyes become hooded as I stroked his inner thighs. So badly I wanted to touch the bulge, but the teasing part was just too much fun. And besides, I loved watching his face when I teased him.

His breathing increased when I softly ran my fingertips over his manhood to unbuckle his belt. His eyes peered into mine as he lay completely still, taking in my every move.

When his fly was completely unbuttoned, I noticed Edward wasn't wearing underpants. My eyes shot back to his, and I grinned. "Laundry day?"

"I showered at your place this morning, remember?" He shrugged with a smile.

"Vaguely." I recalled my morning shower with him. "I think it's time to bring some of your belongings over to my apartment."

"You mean you're not sick of me yet?"

"Are you kidding me? Never!" I answered.

"Then it's time I bring some of my things over to your place then."

"I'm saying..."

The idea of going to sleep every night in Edward's arms, and waking up every morning still in his arms made my heart overflow with joy. A lot of people would probably argue we were moving to fast, but hey, it was me and Edward - we had never really gone by the book. Why start now?

I couldn't take my eyes off of him as I slid his jeans down over his hips, freeing his erection. Edward placed both arms beneath his head, propping himself up higher, continuing to observe.

Taking him in my hand, I gently began to stroke the smooth, silky skin. I loved feeling him, touching him, seeing firsthand the effect I had on him. He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes, and it blew me away witnessing the glorious array of satisfaction crossing his face.

Would I ever be able to get enough of my pretty boy? With the taste of his minty kiss on my lips, I moved my face closer to his, but stopped when he sucked in his breath. __

 _God, he's gorgeous. I love making him feel this way; I love watching him. I'll never get enough of him.  
_

"Hey you guys." Rose's voice filled the room, and I'm rendered frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

 _Uh-oh... busted!_

"Oh, Jesus!" I anxiously began grabbing pillows, blankets, pretty much anything in reach in an attempt to cover Edward.

"What's going on?" Emmett was soon standing beside Rose.

"What the hell?" Edward quickly grabbed a pillow, placing it over his manhood. "Do you guys ever knock?"

"Do you guys realize there's a lock on the door?" Rose shot back, throwing her hands over her eyes, while Emmett stood smirking.

"We'll be out in a second!" Edward shouted, throwing one of the extra pillows toward Rose and Emmett.

"I wouldn't count on it." Rose laughed as she and Emmett left, shutting the door behind them.

"It never occurred to you to lock the door?" I rolled my eyes.

"It's your fault," he replied.

"How's it my fault?"

"Apparently, I'm unable to think while in your presence. My mind goes all... stupid." _ **  
**_

One very short tour and an extremely embarrassing moment later, we joined the others outside. Emmett and Jasper had a gigantic campfire blazing, and Alice wasted no time throwing together s'mores. The heat from the fire was very welcoming considering the cool night air had shifted in, and I was still wearing shorts.

As I pulled a chair closer toward Edward's, I saw Emmett grinning out of the corner of my eye. "Emmett... No."

When everyone started laughing, I could feel my cheeks becoming warmer and warmer. It was suddenly too warm.

"You can sit with me," Edward offered as he opened his arms, inviting me to sit on his lap.

That offer was even better. I couldn't help but smile as I took in his perfect crooked grin. He didn't seem quite as embarrassed as I did over getting caught. But the embarrassment soon faded as I snuggled against his chest and sat quietly as he talked to Jasper and Emmett about fishing, collecting firewood, and other guy things.

It was impossible for me not to notice every detail about Edward. The way he moved his hands while talking, the thin wrinkles that formed around his delightful eyes when he laughed - every detail, even the smaller, unimportant ones made me love him even more.

"S'mores, Bella?" Alice asked.

"Thanks," I told her as she handed me the gooey, delicious treat.

When I put the first bite into my mouth and licked my fingers, I was well aware Edward was watching me. I decided to play innocent but have a little fun.

Breaking off a rather small piece, I placed it in my mouth, and chewed it slowly. Very discreetly, I licked my fingers again.

"Umm," I softly hummed as I opened my eyes and I felt Edward squirming beneath me. "I'm sorry. Do you want some?" I gave him no time to answer as I tore another piece and carefully took it toward his mouth.

Without hesitation or removing his eyes from mine, he all-too-willingly opened his mouth. I placed the warm treat on the tip of his tongue, making sure I lightly brushed my fingertips along his full lips.

"Really good, huh?" I asked, taking another bite, and of course, continuing my little game.

"Tantalizing." His beautiful ice-blue eyes burned into mine.

"More?"

"Yes, please." He deliberately licked his lips, and I just about lost all control.

I could see the outline of his chest through the thin, white t-shirt. With every breath he took, it was hypnotizing.

 _Whoa!_ I was the one who was supposed to be practicing the art of seduction here. Yet, it was Edward leaving me utterly bedazzled.

"I know what you're doing." He gently massaged small circles against my lower back.

"Do you now?" I asked, breathlessly, as my entire body quivered feverishly beneath his touch.

"You're teasing me."

"Who said I was teasing?" I ran one finger along his jawline and down his throat.

"Yes, Bella. That's a great idea." Edward attempted to stand, so I got up.

"We're gonna fetch firewood. We'll need extra firewood." He never really gave anyone a chance to reply as he took my hand and led us off into the dim forest.

"I never said a word about firewood." I held his hand tight as we walked deeper into the woods.

"I just need..." Old-fashioned and romantic as ever, he placed his hands on either side of my face, lowering his lips to mine.

I desperately clutched onto him as our kiss became heated, and his wandering hands slid beneath the backside of my cotton shorts. I wanted him then and there; I never wanted that moment, or our kiss to end. Yet, it was me who broke away.

"We're seriously gonna do it? Out here... in the woods?" I asked.

"Who said anything about doing it out here?" He flashed a charming smile, moving closer toward me, and brushing a lock of hair from my face. "No rush. I just need to touch you and kiss you." He paused, placing a chaste kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Then we're gonna head back, and try to contain ourselves in front of our friends. Then, I'm going to take you to bed and make love to you all night long."

"I-I think I'd like that." I swallowed thickly, leaning back against a tree for leverage.

I felt like I was trapped in a dream, unable to move my limbs, unable to take my eyes off him when he stepped even closer, pushing my shirt upward. When his hands were on me, slowly sliding up either side of my body until his hands found my breasts, I was pretty sure I was going to melt from the inside out.

"Relax, baby. No one can see us." His raspy voice was both sexy and calming.

I threw my head back in pleasure as a soft moan escaped my mouth. Edward placed his lips on my neck, slowly and tenderly kissing along my collarbone. He had no idea what his touch really did to me.

"I need you now," I told him, placing my hands on his shoulders, and pulled him even closer.

"You don't like the anticipation?"

"Anticipation is good. But I can't wait," I answered.

"Wouldn't you rather wait until we're in bed?"

I leaned back, nervously biting down on my lip, and carefully edited the words in my head. "Edward, sometimes, a girl just wants to..." His eyes grew wider with each word I spoke, and I couldn't help but grin.

"I mean, I love it when you touch me and kiss me. I love it when you take your time and make love to me. I love how you make every moment feel so damn beautiful. It's one of the many reasons I love you so much... but right now, I just need you... fast and hard."

"So you want me to be... rough?" he asked as though his words were one of the seven deadly sins. "You're okay with that?"

I anxiously shook my head. I couldn't believe what I had just admitted to him. I was beyond glad the pale moonlight was the only light surrounding us, because I knew my face was blushing scarlet.

"I want that too," he confessed. "I just want every moment with you to feel special. I want you to know how special you are to me."

"And I do feel special, and you do make every moment beyond special... you make everything perfect. And believe me, while anticipation can be exciting, there is also something to be said for a little aggression from time to time."

His mischievous smile faded as his eyes became darker, more serious. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me hard against his chest before crashing his mouth to mine. Without another word, he swiftly broke our kiss and flung me around bucking his hips against my backside.

"Is this what you want, baby?"

"Yes." My eager hips met him thrust for thrust as he roughly pulled and twisted at the soft fabric of my shorts and panties.

This side of Edward only intensified my desires. It was so strange how he brought all of these uncanny feelings out in me. I had never felt this way about anyone else; I had never needed to feel anyone's touch - until Edward.

It wasn't that I needed it rough; it wasn't that I needed it hard. I just needed him spontaneously and quickly; I craved him more than my next breath.

Pushing my shorts to the side, Edward pushed himself inside of me, and set his hips in a fast and urgent rhythm. I whimpered at the force, and hearing him groan in pleasure was enough to drive me mad.

"It feels so good," I told him, and he began to move deeper and harder, slamming himself against me.

I don't know if it was his urgency or mine that send me over the edge, but I was consumed, and absolutely quivering beneath him as my flesh tightened around him.

"My God! Bella!" I felt his body stiffen, and knowing that it was me responsible for his pleasure pushed me over the edge once again.

Only our hard breaths echoed into the night as he gingerly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me upright against his chest. Ever so faintly - and just like Edward - he softly kissed the back of my neck, holding me close. Rendering the moment perfect... as always.

"I'd say the animals are thoroughly entertained." He chuckled, causing me to giggle. "I can't believe we just did that."

"That was amazing." I turned to face him. "And it was just as special as all the other times."

"There's definitely something to be said about a little aggression." He winked. "So now what?"

"Now, we head back, and try to contain ourselves in front of our friends. We let the anticipation build back up, then you'll take me to bed and make love to me all night long."

"I like how you think, Miss Swan." He kissed my forehead, and we straightened ourselves up and headed back to camp.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for everything. Thank you to my wonderful beta, Songster and my BFF, C-Mo.

I apologize for the wait on this chapter. I know my writing has been on the back burner lately, and I wanted to fill you guys in on what's been happening in my world.

In Spring of this year, I had to see a dermatologist because of a place under my eye. I went into a clinic - Derm1 - had a biopsy done, and it came back that I had skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma. Normally, basal cell carcinomas doesn't spread and it's slow-growing, but the dermatologist didn't like how close it was to my eye, so surgery was the only option. The surgery was set and I was ready. However, my husband lost his job and we lost our medical coverage, which meant no surgery. My husband soon found another job, but it was under contract, which meant no medical benefits for a while. I finally received a medical card the month of September, so the simple surgery was set again. _Great!_ Unfortunately, the slow-growing and rare to spread, cancer had decided to spread and take root, almost in my eye. What was supposed to be a simple cut turned into a cut from my eyelid almost all the way around my eye. I was literally seeing red for a few days; my eye was filling up with blood. The good news though, I get to keep my eye, and for that, I am beyond grateful.

The most common cause of basal cell carcinoma is ultraviolet light (UV). I used to be a die-hard tanner. However, I can honestly say, not any more. I'll walk away with a scar, one my doctor is hoping will be small and easily covered with make-up, but most of all, I walk away a little wiser too. I'm always taking notes when life hands me lessons. I'm doing okay now, and hopefully my writing will get back into full-swing :)

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	13. Whoa! Baby

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 **Whoa! Baby!  
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I was warm, naked and wrapped in Edward's arms. My legs entwined with his as my head rested on his chest. It had been an exhausting day, and it didn't take us long to drift off to sleep.

When the morning sun slipped into the room, I was still in my pretty boy's arms, and there was no other place I'd rather be. But I knew if I was going to get any work finished, now was the time.

Carefully and quietly as possible, I made my way out of Edward's arms and grabbed my bag of sketches. Taking a seat in a soft, stuffed chair near the bed, I smiled as Edward exhaled loudly and rolled over, but remained sleeping.

He was now facing me as I tried to focus on work. However, it was hard to keep my eyes on the pages with such a beautiful creature only a few feet away. He lay peacefully, lost in his dreams, such an amazing view.

Sitting crossed-legged and jotting down notes, his voice startled me, but when I looked up, he was still asleep. I continued sketching and working on my notes.

"It's not safe for a man to love a woman this much," he said groggily from his slumber, causing me to look up.

 _Was he talking about me?_

"Bella..." He took a deep breath, rolling over again. Now his back was toward me.

 _Okay... yes. He's talking about me. But was that a good thing or a bad thing?  
_

I tiptoed to the other side of the bed. I wanted to see his face. I needed to hear what he was saying in his sleep, but before he uttered another word, his eyes popped open.

"Good morning." My mind was still grasping at the words he had just spoken.

"You're naked and you have your sketchpad."

I didn't replace the sketchpad from the night I was attacked. I was still using the damaged one Edward had returned to me. It was kind of special now, and besides, most of the pages were still usable.

"Yes."

"You're suppose to be relaxing," he reminded me of our deal we made earlier in the week while planning our trip.

"And I did. I slept like a baby."

"Babies don't really sleep very well."

"Good point. I slept like a log."

"Hot." He grinned, pulling back the covers for me to join him. "Come back to bed, it's too early, and I sleep better with you next to me."

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 **~ F, L & G C ~**

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"What's on the agenda for today?" Rose asked while we all sat eating a marvelous breakfast prepared by our personal chef, Alice.

"I have the entire day planned," Alice answered from the kitchen. "I was thinking we could start out the day with a short hike followed by... maybe some horseback riding. And then we could do some kayaking or rafting... or both, whichever you guys prefer. After that, we can come back here, clean up, and go check out the live entertainment this evening."

"Damn, Alice, we're only human," Emmett replied. "That sounds like a lot of activities for just one day. Besides, I kinda wanted to be alone with Rose today."

"Yeah me too. I wanted to spend some time with Bella," Edward added.

"Okay. Fine. Do whatever you want. I'll go alone." Alice began clearing the breakfast dishes.

"I'll go with you," Jasper told her as he began helping her.

"There you go. You have a buddy to ride the waves and horses with." Rose stepped into the kitchen. "Bella and I can clean up so you can get a head start."

"I can't horseback ride anyway," Alice said, clearly frustrated.

"You love riding horses." Edward stared at his sister. "Of course you can horseback ride."

"No, Edward, I can't. Really, it's fine. Okay?"

"It's not a problem, Alice. Really, I don't mind. I can go with you," Jasper told her as Alice glared at him for a long moment before darting toward the bathroom.

"Maybe we should spend the day with her," I quietly whispered to Rose as she and I took over clearing breakfast and cleaning the kitchen.

"Her mood swings are giving me whiplash." Rose began filling the sink with water. "She needs to admit her feelings for Jasper already... so we all can go back to normal."

"She's being stubborn." I rolled my eyes.

Rose's lips curled into a huge smile as she began handing me plates. "I guess that's something you two have a common, huh?"

"We're together, aren't we?"

"Yeah, it only took you nine years." Rose continued washing dishes and handed them to me to be rinsed. "Jasper is my cousin, and he talks to me."

"Wait. You and Jasper are cousins? I had no idea."

"Yeah, our dads are brothers. That's why both have the same last name," Rose explained. "When I first moved in with Alice, Emmett, whom I thought was a creep at the time, wanted me to be his roommate. I hardly knew him, I was appalled that he asked me to move in. Alice and I had practically just met him. But long story short, Em needed a roommate, and I introduced him to Jasper."

"I knew your last name was Hale. I hadn't really paid attention to Jasper's last name."

"Jasper is crazy over Alice. It's killing him to pretend he only wants to be her friend."

"If not today, then definitely tomorrow, we need to spend some time with her. Talk to her, and with a little luck, maybe we can convince her to admit her true feelings, or at least, find out what's bugging her."

"Rose, Bella, can you guys come here for a minute?" Alice called from the bathroom. Rose and I glanced at one another before drying our hands and following Alice as she stepped into the guest bedroom.

An unsettling feeling began welling inside me as I took in the look of panic on Alice's face. Something was definitely wrong.

"What's wrong, Al?"

"I'm so scared," Alice rushed to the bed and sat down.

"Alice, you're scaring me, what's wrong? Why are you scared?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" Rose asked. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I just took a test." Alice held up the small white stick that revealed two pink lines.

"Alice, who's the father? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." I sat down next to her and attempted to comfort her. She was a sobbing mess by this point.

"Jasper," she answered softly.

"Jasper? I thought you guys... you said... when did this happen?" Rose asked.

"About a month ago. But I told him it couldn't happen again, and I only wanted to be his friend..." She frantically stood and began pacing. "I can't believe I let this happen! When Richard and I broke up, I was a mess. I didn't get my pills refilled. I didn't think I needed them."

"Calm down. Maybe it's too soon. Maybe the test was wrong," Rose offered.

"It's a First Response. The test on the commercial that lets you know sooner."

"We'll get you another test," I said. "Maybe the results really are wrong."

"I bought two tests."

"Good, you can take the other one and when we get the results, we'll go from there."

"I can't pee." Alice started crying again.

I had never seen Alice so frightened in my life. My heart ached for her. A baby? I couldn't imagine how scary that must have felt. One thing was for certain though, Alice and Jasper's relationship was on a deeper level than we realized. No wonder poor Alice was basket case lately.

"Water! You need to drink water." I jumped from the bed and headed back toward the kitchen.

"What are you guys doing in there?" Edward asked from behind, snaking his arms around my waist as I filled a glass under the tap.

"Alice isn't feeling well," I told him.

"She's being a spoiled brat." He gently pulled my hair to the side and kissed my neck, causing goosebumps to rise. "Make up an excuse and get ready. I wanna spend this day with just you."

"I want that too. But Alice really isn't feeling well. I promise, she's not just being a brat. She needs me." I stepped away from him with an apologetic smile and headed back to the bedroom.

"Here, drink this." I handed Alice the glass, closing the door behind me.

The next ten minutes were the longest ten minutes of my life. I can only imagine how poor Alice was feeling. Rose and I sat quietly on the end of the bed while Alice drank the glass of water, plus another. She paced, she softly cried and mumbled to herself.

"I have to go," Alice finally said as Rose and I both quickly stood and watched her as she made her way into the bathroom.

Once she had taken the test, she walked back in the room, laying the stick on a small nightstand beside the bed. I walked over and picked the stick up along with Emmett's watch when I had an idea.

A few minutes later when Alice asked for the results, I said, "It's negative."

"Huh?" Alice questioned. "Are you sure?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I watched as my friend's eyes flooded with disappointment.

"Really? That's really... really great news. I-I mean, I'm not ready to have a baby, right?" Alice sat down on the bed with a sigh. "This is just how it's suppose to be."

"I guess everything worked out." Rose wrapped her arm around Alice as she began to cry all over again.

"I guess so. I mean this is all so stupid. How can I be so upset over something I never had?"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"When I didn't get my period a few weeks ago, I assumed I was pregnant. I guess, somewhere in the back of my mind, I got used to the idea. And then the first test was positive... and somewhere underneath all the confusion and chaos, I kinda wanted it."

"Good." I smiled. "Because it's positive."

"What?" Alice was at my side in seconds, reaching for the stick. Tears ran down her face as she saw the positive results for herself. "That was very... tricky."

"I know." I hugged her. "And I'm sorry I lied, but now you really now how you feel. How do you really feel, Al?"

"Scared. Wonderful... really scared, but I feel so much joy too." She smiled through her tears. "I'm going to be someone's mother."

"So, you're really gonna do this?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am," she answered. "I'm gonna have a baby."

Was she already glowing? I couldn't stop smiling as I watched her go from panicked with fear, to disappointment, to sheer, utter happiness.

"And Jasper?" Rose asked.

"I have to tell him," she answered. "What if he doesn't want this baby?"

"I really don't think that will be his reaction." Rose winked. "Do you love him Alice?"

"I do. I really, really do. And not because we're having a baby together, but because he's my best friend, and I have fallen in love with him. Pushing him away has been such a tiring game, and I don't wanna push him away anymore."

"Then you need to tell him now," I said as Rose and I walked together toward the door and Alice nodded.

One boat rental and a hormonal Alice thinking she looked fat in her bikini later, we were on the lake. I closely observed all the lightheartedness now surrounding us. The group of people around me was more than my friends, they we're my family. If they hurt, I hurt. If they cry, I cry, and if they are happy, I too am happy.

Edward steered the boat as he talked about his new _nephew_ , and all the things he was going to teach the young lad. I couldn't help but to think what a wonderful father he would make... someday. And I already knew I wanted to experience all of that with him. However, I also knew that day would be a long way off. We had careers and neither of us was ready for that step. And apparently neither was Rose. I couldn't help but to giggle as I watched Emmett begging her to quit the pill and give him a baby too.

And then my wandering eyes fell upon Jasper and Alice. My heart was overflowing with emotion as I watched him place his hand on her tummy and stare adoringly at her. It was so wonderful to finally see the two of them together, and now a baby. Alice and Jasper was having a baby; I had never seen Alice's eyes shine so bright. She was going to make a great mother.

"What are thinking about?" Edward pulled me from my happy thoughts. I hadn't even noticed the boat had came to a stop and everyone was already in the water, besides him.

"The baby." I stared aimlessly over the lake.

"So, now you want a baby?" he asked.

"Huh?" I quickly turned to face him.

"Do you want a baby?"

"Nah, I'm good," I answered without hesitation. "I mean, not right now. Maybe someday."

"Okay. But the offer stands. If you ever want a baby, I'd be willing to help you out." He winked.

"I'll keep that in mind." I sat down on one of the leather seats as he joined me.

"Something's wrong."

"No... I'm fine. It's just... I heard you talking in your sleep."

"I talk in my sleep?" He looked at me confused.

"And snore."

"Says the wounded warthog." He chuckled. "You know, you're really getting in a habit of watching me sleep? I think you're stalking me."

"I am stalking you."

"Seriously, though, what did I say while you were stalking me in my sleep?"

"You said, 'i _t's not safe for a man to love a woman this much_ ,'" I quoted his words.

"I said that?"

"You did."

"I don't know." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't remember saying it. Maybe I was just rambling."

"Maybe."

"Can I be honest?" He took my hand into his and began gently rubbing small circles in the palm. "It does sometimes scare me."

"What scares you? Me?"

"No... not you. It scares me sometimes because I love you so much. I'm scared you're gonna vanish or go away."

"Because of what happened in the past?"

"Partly, but the night you were attacked plays a huge role in it. If something were to ever happen to you, Bella, I couldn't live in a world where you didn't exist."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, Edward."

"You can't promise that, and as badly as I want to protect you, there are gonna be times I can't. It makes me wanna steal you away and chain you to my bed, and never let you leave my apartment."

"Well... that's a thought." I pondered the pros and cons of being chained to Edward's bed.

"I promise I would only do good things to you." He smiled, wiggling his brows.

"Barefoot and pregnant... and chained to your bed? I'm starting to wonder if this is a healthy relationship," I told him, lacing my fingers with his. "My bookworm has a freak side."

He brought his face closer to mine. "A side that only you bring out in me." His eyes were focused on my lips. "And I like that side."

"Me too." I brought my lips dangerously closer to his, but stopped before they touched. "I like all of your sides, Edward Cullen. And anytime you wanna chain me to your bed..."

"Yeah." His smile grew wider, and I could feel his minty breath on my skin.

"You'll have to catch me first!" I jumped up in a flash and dove into the water.

Oh, the thrill of playing a game of cat and mouse. And I loved how Edward was always ready, willing, and able to comply. However, I loved it more when the cat caught the mouse.

"Got'cha!" He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my body to his wet chest.

Surrendering, not an easy task for some. But considering how gorgeous my pretty boy was, surrendering to him was as easy as breathing.

"I win!" I announced.

"But... I caught you" The look of confusion in his ice-blue eyes was always priceless.

"Like I said, I win."

"You think you're clever, don't you?"

"I know I am." I crashed my lips to his.

That moment, that entire day, those kisses, his touch—they were all overwhelming me. Every time I thought it wasn't possible to fall harder or even more in love with Edward, I was proven wrong. While in his arms, nothing else in the world mattered. Lost in his kisses, this cruel world seemed perfect.

"It is sometimes scary," I confessed.

"What?" he questioned.

"Loving somebody this much."

"This is what I'm saying." His eyes flicked to mine. His perfect, crooked smile melted me. "I wouldn't trade this love for anything in the world though."

"Me neither."

* * *

 **A/N**

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing this story. You make Fanfiction a much more exciting place to write. And thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for the concern - I love my Fanfiction family.

Thank you to the best beta in the world, Songster, who makes my writing flow so much better. Thank you to my BFF, C-Mo.

And now Alice and Jasper is together :)

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	14. Who let the dog out?

**.**

 **Who let the dog out?**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Sunday came and went in a flash; the entire weekend came and went in a flash. So the gang and I made the most of our last day at _Lake George Escape_. After Alice convinced Jasper her pregnancy wasn't a handicap, we spent the morning hiking and the entire afternoon canoeing.

The balmy sun had no mercy, which resulted in another swim in the lake. Finding our own little private section, Edward and I sat upon a small sandbar in silence and marveled at the beauty around us. The only sound was our friend's distant laughter and a squawking raven that circled above. The air was rich with sunlight and heat and grew even hotter as the sun beamed down on us. The relief of a constant, cool breeze was a reminder that summer would soon be ending.

I quietly lay in Edward's arms while the soft wind made the green leaves dance on every tree. With memories of a younger Edward flashing through my mind, it was almost surreal how much this place reminded me of Lake Sunapee, and our youth.

With the fall season right around the corner, the evenings were becoming cooler. It was the last night of our camping adventure. I sat with my back against Edward's chest as we snuggled close on a wooden pier. With his arms tightly wrapped around me, he rested his chin on my shoulder, and I could feel his warm breath on my neck. It was exhilarating having him so close.

"It's almost time," Alice announced as she handed out thin throws to Edward and me, then Rose and Emmett before taking a seat beside Jasper.

Within seconds, the black sky was exploding with splashes of color as the boom of explosions rattled the pier. The smell of gunpowder and charcoal filled the crisp night air. It was perfect.

"The stars are falling just for us," Edward whispered, causing a huge smile to spread across my lips.

"Just for us, huh?"

"Just for us," he confirmed with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I don't wanna go home. Let's stay here forever," I told him, gazing up into his eyes. "This has been the best vacation ever... this has been the best summer ever."

"Better than the summer I taught you to play volleyball?"

"Oh yes, the summer right before I turned sixteen." I recalled. "The summer you spiked a volleyball, hitting me in the face. I remember it well, and yes this summer was a lot better."

"I forgot about the ball - not me, but rather the ball - hitting you." He grinned. "But I mostly remember boobs bouncing...so..."

"Perv."

"Only for you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I leaned my head back into the curve of his collarbone as we continued watching the sky light up, and the stars falling... just for us.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

The fire popped loudly as a stone exploded, causing me to jump back and then laugh. Edward was watching me closely with a smirk as I readjusted the two marshmallows on the stick.

"Alice and I have something to tell you guys," Jasper said, directing all eyes on him and Alice.

"As you well know, we'll soon be having a baby," Alice interjected. "And we've decided we wanna live together."

"And we're not saying we have to start this process as soon as return home. We just wanted to let you guys know ahead of time what our plans are."

"So you guys will be moving?" Rose asked.

"We thought about moving, finding a place together, but we love where we live now," Alice answered. "Se we were thinking, instead of getting a new place, maybe Emmett and I can just switch apartments."

"In other words, you'd be living in my apartment with Jasper, and I'd be living with Rose and Bella?" A sneaky grin crossed Emmett's face. "That's hot... oh, the possibilities. Bella, are you opposed to threesomes?"

"Hey..." Edward's eyes narrowed on Emmett.

"Oh..." Emmett broke out in song and dance. "Come and knock on our door... we've been waiting for you." He pointed toward me. "Where the kisses are hers and hers and his..."

"Sit down, Jack Tripper," Rose interrupted, shaking her head with laughter. "Maybe I'm not ready to live with you. Maybe I'd rather have another female roommate."

"I can live with a foursome." Emmett winked at Rose.

"If you guys are against this, we'll just work something else out. Like Jasper said, we don't have to start moving as soon as we get back home. You guys can just think about it. But we really wanna be in one place before the baby is born."

"Nah, I was just kidding. I have no problem with it, if Bella doesn't. I'm over at Emmett's place more than I'm home anyway," Rose replied.

"I know," Alice agreed. "I didn't want to leave Bella hanging though, or put her out. We just figured this way would just be easier on everyone."

"It's your apartment, Al. I don't wanna put you out either," I told her. "If you and Jasper would rather stay in your apartment and have Rose move in with Emmett instead, I can find another apartment."

"Absolutely not. I'm keeping you close by, A _unt Bella_." She smiled. "I'm gonna need all the babysitters I can get."

"But it's your apartment," I reminded her.

"I have a solution," Edward said. "Bella could live with me. She'd still be close by... just right across the street."

I didn't reply to Edward's offer. To be honest, his offer caught me off guard and scared me a little. This would be a huge step. Were we ready to live together?

"I don't know," I finally spoke when I noticed wandering eyes - five sets - all looking toward me for an answer.

"Come here." Edward held out his hand and led us inside the RV. "I know this is happening fast, but it just makes so much sense, don't you think?" His voice was high, excited. "I mean, we're practically living together now. If I'm not at your place, you're at mine."

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

"This is a huge step, Edward. We've only been dating a couple of weeks. It feels rushed... I don't know, like you said, a solution to a problem. Are we ready to make such a huge commitment?"

"Bella, I'm ready for any kind of commitment with you." He hesitated before moving his face closer to mine. "And besides, if we live together, I won't have to go commando anymore."

Pressing my lips to his for a quick kiss, I laughed. "Are you asking me to move in and do your laundry, pretty boy?"

"Bella Swan, will you please do me the extraordinary honor of moving in and washing my laundry?" His boyish smile and pleading eyes made it a little hard to say no.

"Okay."

"Okay?" His lips curved into his famous crooked grin.

"Okay... but this is totally insane," I told him. "I hope we're making the right move here. Besides, you're right; we're practically living together as it is."

"You're really saying yes." His lighthearted mood was contagious, and before I knew it, we were wrapped in a celebratory hug.

"I can't believe you're saying yes... I'll wake up to you every morning, go to sleep next to you every night. Kinda like we're already doing, only now you'll be doing my laundry, cooking my meals, massaging my feet after a long day..."

"Hold up, I didn't agree to any of that. Maybe I'm only agreeing to this because I'm curious about being tied to your bed."

"Oh, baby, this is gonna be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I can already tell you and I are gonna make great roommates."

"Yes, I agree. Together we'll do the laundry, clean, cook, and you'll massage my feet."

"I will." He promised. "I'll massage your feet right now, if you want."

We soon joined the others outside where we spent the night by a cozy campfire, sharing stories and small talk. The next morning, the gang and I loaded up the SUV and headed back to Manhattan - home sweet home. I hated to see our wonderful weekend end, but it was back to life and the reality of work.

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

Waking up in Edward's arms is always a plus. However, having to leave the warmth of his arms already had my Tuesday morning off to a bad start. I wanted to stay right where I was, but working in fashion required more than just reading magazines, sketching and watching _The Devil Wears Prada_.

I loved fashion; I loved my career, and deep down inside, I had always known that's all I ever really wanted to do. And as glamorous as the world of fashion may seem, the behind-the-scenes chaos was enough to drive anyone insane.

I walked into work, dragging and sipping on my coffee in hand. It was like any other work day, people flitting to and fro, phones ringing and papers flying; kind of like a madhouse filled with swarming bees.

"Excuse me," I told people as I squeezed past them.

As if fashion week wasn't demanding enough, we were preparing for another fashion show the upcoming weekend. This time for charity, but nonetheless, some of the biggest names in fashion would be attending, and Angela made it loud and clear she wanted me there, taking notes.

"Isabella, darling. Good morning," Angela greeted with her usual proper tone. "It's lovely to see you. How was your weekend? Did you finish those sketches? I need to speak to you in my office... we'll have lunch in my office," she added in one breath. I didn't even have time to answer her before she was off greeting others.

I walked into my office and shut the door behind me. Pulling my sketchpad from my briefcase, I sat down behind my desk just as my cellphone buzzed.

 **This is gonna be a long day... I miss you already. - E**

 **Tell me about it. I miss you too. - B**

 **Wanna skip work today and meet back at my place? I mean, 'soon to be our place'. We can practice the art of tying you up to my bed :-) - E**

 **No can do... as much fun as that sounds, Angela needs to speak to me... in her office. Sounded serious. - B**

 **It's not even 9 a.m. and you're already in trouble. Sounds like my Bella. - E**

 **I love being your Bella. - B**

 **You'll always be my Bella. I have to go, since I have no one to tie up, I guess I'll teach these youngsters some art. I love you - E**

 **Love you too. - B**

I had the goofiest grin on my face when I tucked my phone away and began working. All part of the _Edward effect_ , I guess.

By the time lunch rolled around, I managed to finish the sketches Angela had asked for. One day early, that had me feeling pretty accomplished. So I placed them inside a folder before walking over to her office.

"Isabella, come in," Angela smiled when I softly tapped on the already opened door. "Close the door behind you and have a seat."

I did as I was told and then handed her the sketches. I watched anxiously as her smile faded and she laid the folder down in front of her.

 _Great. She hates them.  
_

"Did you have a good weekend?" _She's asking about my weekend?_ This was new.

"I did. Thank you for asking."

"Good," she replied, putting on her over-sized, red-framed glasses and looking at the sketches once again. "Isabella, I don't mean to pry, your personal life is none of my business, but is everything okay at home?"

I had no idea where this was going or how to answer her. I automatically panicked, thinking I was going to get fired. I mean it was obvious she hated my sketches, and she was asking about my personal life.

"Everything's fine at home." I swallowed thickly. "Why do you ask?"

"You're an excellent designer, Isabella. We're lucky to have you, but your heart just doesn't seem to be in it anymore. These designs are okay, but not your best work. You and I both know you're better than this. Do you not like working here?"

"I-I love working here." I stumbled over my words. "I've just been really busy lately... new boyfriend."

"Oh." She smirked. "That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"That daydream look in your eyes." She winked. "So tell me. How did you meet Mr. Wonderful?"

"Actually, we grew up together in New Hampshire."

"Even better, reuniting with a high school sweetheart."

"Something like that." I didn't want to share the details of my relationship with my boss.

"I believe in love- " A huge smile formed on her lips - "Love 'em and leave 'em, that is."

We both chuckled before Angela's face turned serious again. She continued looking over the sketches as she removed her glasses, placing them on her desk.

"Do you have plans this evening?" she asked.

"I was planning on meeting Edward - Mr. Wonderful - for dinner. Why?"

"I have a business meeting with the suits and ties, and although it's not required you attend, I really wish you would. Of course you don't have to..."

"I want to," I told her. I mean, as badly as I hated canceling on Edward, this was my boss. I surely didn't want her thinking my heart wasn't in my work or I wasn't eager.

"Perfect. I'll send my assistant over with the details later," she said. "I want you to redo a couple of these sketches. Try to have them ready by in the morning. Now, tell me more about Mr. Wonderful."

One small salad and chicken sandwich later, Angela and I had covered everything from the latest trends and styles to my Mr. Wonderful - Edward. When lunch ended, I wished Angela a good day and left.

Upon returning to my office, my mind was scattered. I knew I had to step up - pick up the slack when it came to my work. Without paying attention where I was going, I ran right into a tall, sophisticated, preppy-looking man with a long, black ponytail. Just when I thought I was going to hit the floor, his hands were around my waist, catching me, and pulling me back upright.

A little confused and beyond embarrassed, I shyly peeked up through my lashes. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

The tall, muscular man, who was wearing a really tight, black silky t-shirt that clung to his massive chest, laughed at my question. Why was he laughing at me? I couldn't help but smile myself, though, when I caught sight of his dazzling, white smile.

"I should be the one asking you that," he said in a husky tone.

"I wasn't paying attention," I explained.

"It's fine." He gazed down at me, offering his hand. "Jacob Black."

As soon as he spoke his name, it sounded familiar. I gazed into his dark brown - almost black eyes - trying to place him.

"Isabella Swan," I introduced myself. "Do you work you? I don't think I've seen you around."

"Umm...No. I'm here on business." He flashed yet another charming smile. "I take it you do work here."

"Yes. I'm a designer."

"Good. Sounds like you may know your way around this place."

"Sure."

"Great. Can you show me where I can find Angela Webber's office?"

"It's actually right there." I pointed across the hall, carefully studying the man standing before me. "Your name sounds so familiar."

"Black Art," was all he said.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"I guess not." He chuckled. "My father, Billy Black, owns an art museum here in Manhattan - _Black Art_."

"Oh..." It finally dawned on me who this man was. "I know who you are now."

"You've been to Black Art?"

"No. My boyfriend is a huge fan of your work. He has your paintings hanging in his nightclub."

"Your boyfriend owns a nightclub?"

"Yes. Club Cullen. You've been?"

"Never heard of it," he said in an unimpressed tone. "And the owner of Club Cullen is your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Too bad."

"Why would you say that?" I asked in a somewhat defensive tone.

"Isabella, I mean no disrespect toward your boyfriend. I simply meant too bad for me... you have a boyfriend."

"Oh." I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. It was beyond awkward, and clearly, I wasn't interested in what he meant by it. "Angela's office is right there." I showed him once more before smiling and walking back inside my own office.

 _Damn_. I thought as I pulled out my cellphone.

 **I'm not gonna be able to meet you for dinner. Sorry :( - B**

 **Why? - E**

 **Angela wants me to attend a meeting with the suits and ties. - B**

 **Sounds important. - E**

 **Not really... just a bunch of suits and ties sitting around calling all the shots while we do all the work. - B**

 **I'll leave you a key with Alice. Come over after work. - E**

 **I can't... not tonight. I have to redo a few of my sketches. - B**

 **Can't you do that tomorrow? - E**

 **Tomorrow is the deadline. - B**

 **Then I'll help you. - E**

 **You can't help me... you'll only distract me. - B**

 **I promise I won't tie to you to the bed... tonight anyway. Scout's honor, I will help. - E**

 **You were never apart of the Boy's Scouts. - B**

 **I'm leaving you a key with Alice. Come over! I will be the naked guy waiting on the couch. - E**

 **See you're already distracting me. - B**

 **I like distracting you. - E**

 **Fine... I'll see you tonight. But don't wait up; I don't know how late I'll be. - B**

 **:) - You just made me a very happy man. I'll see you tonight. Love you. - E**

 **Tonight :) Love you. - B**

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

On our way over to the meeting, Angela explained Jacob Black would be apart of a new project she and I would be working on together. Our company was interested in launching a t-shirt line with designs of his paintings on them.

"Sounds like fun," I said as we stepped on the elevator.

"Oh yes... he sounds like a lot of fun." She winked.

"Love 'em and leave 'em?" I questioned.

"God, I hope. What I'd give to have a piece of that fine ass."

Two hours later, we were sitting around a long oval conference table surrounded by Armani suits and Tom Ford ties. All I could think about was Edward; I missed him. Glancing down at my watch it was already after nine, and this lame meeting was nowhere near being over.

 _I bet the gang is at the coffee house... I miss Central Perk; I miss good coffee._ My mind wandered while I watched a younger man drumming his fingers against his forehead; clearly, I wasn't the only one bored.

By the time I got home, it was almost midnight and everyone was already in bed. I picked up the small envelope with my name on it and fetched out the key inside.

After a short shower and packing an overnight bag, I headed over to Edward's apartment where I found him sound asleep on the couch.

He was still wearing his reading glasses with his open book lying on his chest. I hated to wake him.

"What time is it?" He removed his glasses with a yawn.

"After midnight," I answered. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

* * *

 **A/N**

Hello, dear readers, I just want to say, I wholly appreciate each and every one of you. Thank You for your continued support; you guys never fail in putting a smile on my face :) I adore you!

I know we have some anti-Jacob readers out there, and some readers prefer to leave the dog caged, but I do like adding him into my story lines because he's an important character to the saga. Think about it, had there been no Jacob, there would have been no Bella past New Moon... then the saga would have kinda sucked.

However, with that being said, I want you to bear something in mind, no matter where this story line goes, this is an overall Bella and Edward Romance, and they will get their happily-ever-after and their forever. *Scout's Honor*

Until Next Time,

Minerva


	15. Sexy Vampires & Slimy Things

**.**

 **Sexy Vampires & Slimy Things**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Time flies when you're having a good time, or so I've heard. It sure seemed that way, because before I knew it, I was standing around the kitchen table, carving pumpkins with my friends. Halloween was just a few days away, and Alice had planned a costume party at our apartment. The gang had been preparing and decorating all week.

Alice was now around fourteen weeks pregnant, and although she would say she was as big as house, she really wasn't. She had a very small baby-bump, only noticeable to those who knew she was pregnant.

"Have you picked out your costume for the party yet?" Alice asked me as she carefully carved into the pumpkin sitting in front of her.

"Actually... I haven't."

"Bella, you seriously need to get on the ball, my party is this weekend."

"I know," I answered. "I-I just..."

"It's okay; I got'cha covered," Edward said, before walking into my bedroom and then emerging with his and hers vampire costumes.

 _Tell him now._

"Oh those are hot." Rose peeked over her pumpkin and grinned. "Sexy vampires. Much sexier than the peanut butter and jelly jars Em picked up for us."

"Babe, I already told you, our costumes are symbolic. We go together to like peanut butter and jelly." Emmett flashed her his famous dimpled-smile. "I could have chosen the bacon and eggs costumes."

"Thank God you didn't. It's gonna be hard enough walking around like a jar of peanut butter. I don't think I could have handled being dressed like a breakfast dish."

"Rosie, I'm peanut butter; you're jelly."

"Oh whatever!" Rose rolled her eyes. "What are you and Jasper dressing as, Alice?"

"Since this is our last Halloween before becoming parents, we're dressing as naughty nurse and doctor," Alice answered. "Next year, our little one will be here, so we'll probably have to dress as Minnie or Mickey or something of the sort."

"Edward, may I speak to you alone?" I asked before walking toward my bedroom.

"What? You don't like vampires?"

"Vampires are great... I love vampires. I just need to speak to you in private."

Laying the costumes over the back of the couch, Edward followed me into the bedroom. Once we were inside, I shut the door and wasted no time wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his chest.

 _God, he smells so good._

"Oh, you just wanted to get me alone... I see." He smiled before leading us over to the bed.

"Edward..." I swear to God, I was going to tell him, but he started kissing my neck. Edward's lips on my neck meant any and all thoughts were incoherent.

"I really need to talk to you," I said, turning my head to the side, allowing him better access.

"I'm listening," he said in between kisses before laying us back on the bed and placing his hand underneath my shirt.

 _Seriously? What was it I needed to say..._

Tugging at my shirt, he quickly pulled it over my head before crashing his lips against mine again. His hands were everywhere, and as they sink lower and lower, I fell harder and deeper into the moment. His uneven breathing was so exhilarating... but I had to talk to him first.

"Edward," I say, breaking our kiss. "I really need to tell you something."

"I said I'm listening." His lips were once again on my neck, freeing my mouth for speaking purposes.

"I'm not gonna be able to make it to Alice's party," I said as he ceased all movement.

"Why?"

"Remember when I told you I met Jacob Black?"

"Yes," he answered, stealing his touch away.

"The deal went through. Our company wants to launch the Black line."

"What's that have to do with Alice's party?" He scooted away until his back rested against the headboard.

"Apparently, Jacob Black is a very busy man. This will require Angela and I to work on his schedule."

"So you have to work Friday evening?"

"Jacob wants Angela and I to meet him at The River Café for a business dinner... to work out some of the details."

"And Angela can't do this herself?"

"I thought the same thing... but she insists on me being there, and she's my boss," I told him but he chose not to reply.

"Edward, please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad," he finally said, leaning his head back and briefly closing his eyes.

"You're mad." I crawled up the bed, toward him.

"I'm not mad. Disappointed, maybe. But I'm not mad. If your boss wants you there, there's not really much you can do... but be there."

"I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"You keep saying that, Bella, but there's never time for us. Have you noticed we haven't spent the night together in over a week?"

"I know, and I'm sorry. This has been a busy week. By the time I get home, it's already so late, and I know you're already sleeping... I don't wanna wake you, so it's easier if I just come back here."

"I miss you, Bella." He opened his arms and I snuggled against him. "It's just frustrating sometimes."

"I know... and I miss you too." I gazed up at him as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I was kinda looking forward to Alice's lame ass party... well, being with you."

"I'm sorry."

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

"How's this?" Edward stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the crooked, red bow tie on his costume. "Do I make a good vampire?"

"You're the sexiest vampire to ever exist." I smiled, straightened the bow tie for him. "I wish I was going with you."

"Yeah, me too." He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, turning to face me. "It's not too late. You could always call and cancel. Tell Angela you caught a bug or something."

"Are you encouraging me to lie, Pretty Boy?"

"Just a little, but I swear it'd be worth it."

"I know it would be worth it, but I have to be there."

"I have to go. Alice needs help setting things up." He grabbed his long, black cape and quickly placed it over his shoulders. "I vant to drink your blahd."

I laughed at his silly Dracula voice and hugged him tight around the waist. It was no one's fault but my own, I felt left out. I hated feeling left out. I'd much rather be going to Alice's silly costume party than to some fancy restaurant.

"Have fun."

"I'll try," Edward said before placing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Eww. Did you get makeup on me?"

"Just the outlines of my lips... to let Mr. Black know you're already taken by the sexiest vampire to ever exist." He winked.

"You have no worries when it comes to Mr. Black." I snatched a few tissues from the nightstand and dabbed at the bright red lipstick on my forehead. "Go. Enjoy yourself. Hopefully this business dinner won't take too long, and I can get back in time to enjoy some of the party."

"How are you getting to the restaurant?"

"Jacob is sending a limo." I rolled my eyes.

"Nice."

"I told him I would take a cab, but he insisted... so..."

"Maybe he's trying to impress you."

"Maybe he's trying to impress Angela. I think the two of them will end up sleeping together throughout this project, and then when it's over, she'll cast him to the swine."

"I'd say he won't mind. He'll enjoy it as much as she does."

"I'd say you're right. I could care less what they do. Maybe if the two of them get close enough, they'll start having these meetings alone."

"One could only hope. Maybe the two of them will fall in love and Angela will forever get off my girlfriend's back and free her schedule for all of eternity."

"I don't know. I don't think Angela is the type to fall in love."

"She's a woman. I'm sure she enjoys romance and love, and all that comes with it."

"I think Angela is more of the love 'em and leave 'em type though."

"Well, don't take love advice from that one." He chuckled, leaning in and placing a light kiss to my lips.

"I don't plan on it." I smiled. "Now go. You're gonna be late, and I have to finish getting ready myself."

"Okay, I'm leaving. I love you."

"I love you."

"Hurry back."

"I'll try."

 **.**

 **~ F, L & G C ~**

 **.**

Of course I thought Mr. Black sending a limo was ridiculous. I was perfectly content to take a cab to the restaurant. However, I had to admit, it was kind of cool watching the people on the streets stretching their necks to try and see inside. No doubt, thinking I was some celebrity or something.

 _No one important to see here._ I softly laughed as I watched from behind the tinted window.

Once I arrived at The River Café, Mr. Black was already seated and waiting. The unique view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline twinkling upon the waters almost felt magical. I had never seen Manhattan at night from across the harbor; it was incredible.

"I take it you like the view," Mr. Black said upon standing.

He had a smirk on his face and was dressed in a black suit with a gray tie. I suppose one could say he looked handsome. I mean, if you like the rich, muscular type with a cute, boyish smile.

"It's amazing," I said, taking my seat. "I've never seen anything so..."

"Magical?"

"My thoughts exactly, Mr. Black." I took my seat across from him.

"Oysters and a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Rose," he said to the waiter. "Is this wine okay with you?" His eyes snapped to mine.

"I-I... it's fine," I answered, having no idea what he was talking about. I knew it was wine, but to be honest, I had never heard of it.

"Have you ever had Louis Roederer Cristal Rose?"

"I have not."

"Very good. You'll love it. It goes great with oysters."

"I have never had oysters."

"You've never had an oyster?"

"No." I wondered quietly what Mr. Black would think of me if he knew I would have been completely content with a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer.

"It's going to be a lot of fun spoiling you, Miss Swan." Mr. Black grinned.

"Spoiling me?"

"I mean, with business dinners. I'll try to schedule them at only the best restaurants."

"You don't have to do that," I told him. "I'm happy with a burger and fries."

"You mean something from the dollar menu?"

"Not exactly. I don't like McDonald's very much. There are other places that sell burgers besides McDonald's, Mr. Black."

"Please, call me Jake," he interrupted.

"Jake," I said, anxiously glancing around the unique, waterfront restaurant. "I wonder what's keeping Angela?"

"She should be arriving any moment."

I felt utterly uncomfortable being there alone with Mr. Black... Jake. He made me feel nervous. I wished over and over that Angela would hurry and get there. She knew how to talk to people like Jake. She was an expert at dining with the rich.

"Your wine, sir." The waiter poured a small amount of wine for Jake to taste. Once he had his approval, he proceeding in filling our glasses.

"Tell me a little about yourself, Isabella," Jake said, before sipping from his glass. "Is it okay if I call you Isabella?"

"Or Bella."

"Bella... even better. I like it." He slightly tilted his wine glass in my direction before shooting a dazzling smile. "Where you born in New York?"

"No. Actually, I was born and raised in New Hampshire."

"New Hampshire, huh?"

"Yep... on Lake Sunapee. My dad raised me. He owns his own business - Charlie's Place. Nothing major, just a small, simple bar and grill, but it does rather well. Pays the bills."

"Sunapee... I've only been once; I enjoyed it. Lovely place." He didn't name my father's business, and for some reason, I felt relieved. "And your mother?"

"My mother remarried and moved to Florida when I was very young. We keep in touch mostly by phone or emails. I try to fly out and visit with her as often as I can. But I don't see that happening any time soon with this new job."

"You don't like your job?"

"I love being a designer. I love working at Ralph Lauren... it's just the hours can sometimes be overwhelming."

"Like right now?"

"I kinda had plans tonight."

"You should have said something. We could have rescheduled."

"It's fine."

"From now on, if you have plans, let me know. We can always reschedule."

"Thank you, Mr. Black. That's very... thoughtful."

He didn't reply back; he only smiled as the waiter placed oysters on our table. He wasted no time, popping one in his mouth and humming in pleasure.

"So you've never had an oyster?" he asked and I shook my head. "May I?" Jake never gave me a chance to answer as he moved closer to where I sat and snatched another oyster. "Tilt your head back."

"I can do it," I nervously told him when he placed one hand on the back of my chair and was now only inches from my face.

 _He smells... expensive._

"Of course you can, but I'm going to show you how."

I swallowed thickly and did as I was told. I nervously tilted my head back and watched as a huge grin formed on Jake's lips as he brought the oyster closer to my mouth.

"These are smaller, so they'll be easier to swallow," he said and I nodded. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Tipping the shell, the ball of slime slid down my throat.

"Bon appétit," he said.

 _Rich people really eat this?_ I thought to myself. I hated it.

"Another?"

"No, thank you."

"You didn't like it?"

"I really didn't. Sorry." I instantly reached for my wine, taking a huge drink.

"That's fine. Would you like for me to order you something else?"

"No. I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure? They offer a huge selection of appetizers. Shrimp? Crab? A salad?"

He clearly wasn't going to let this go. "A salad sounds really good."

Jake waved his hand toward the waiter, who apparently was at his beck and call, because he was there within seconds. He then ordered me a salad.

Although asparagus and sweet peppers with cheese and croutons wasn't the worst thing in the world, and definitely better than oysters, I was more of a garden salad kinda gal. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes and carrots smothered in ranch dressing would have been much better. But considering I had already turned away his oysters, I kept my mouth shut and happily ate the salad.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much. Thank you, Mr..." His eyes met mine as he raised a brow. "I mean, Jake."

As we sat and ate our appetizers, my phone buzzed. I looked down to see it was a text from Edward.

 **This party bites... I miss you. - E**

"I need to take this. Will you please excuse me?" I stood, and Jake nodded.

I dialed Edward's phone and he answered on the first ring. "Hey you."

"I miss you too. I really wish I was there. This is so boring, and Angela hasn't even shown up yet," I told him all in one breath. "Have you ever seen the view from this place?"

"Yeah... it's pretty amazing, huh?" he answered. "Angela hasn't shown up?"

"No. I texted her from the limo, so I know we left around the same time. She should have been here already. I just need her to come on so we can get this over with."

"Is Mr. Black there?"

"He was here when I arrived. We've been waiting for nearly thirty minutes or longer."

"So you're bored?" He laughed.

"Very. And I ate an oyster for the first time."

"And?"

"And it was awful. I hated it. I'll never eat another one."

"Never say never, baby," he replied. "I like them."

"Want me to snatch some and put them in my purse. I can bring them home for you." I joked.

"Nah, I'm good. Alice has pizza."

"Why does the party bite?"

"The party itself doesn't bite. It's great, she had a huge turnout. It's just lonely not having you here... that bites." His voice was laced with disappointment.

"Baby, I miss you too, and I would much rather be there with the sexiest vampire in the whole world, eating pizza and drinking beer rather than letting slimy shit slide down my throat."

"That sounded so wrong." He chuckled.

"Yeah, I realized it after I said it."

"I guess I should let you get back to Mr. Black and slimy things."

"Yeah. I need to call Angela too."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Oh, Bella, I wanted to let you know Tanya is here."

My imagination started running wild when Edward told me his ex was at the party. Alice hadn't mentioned inviting her. Suddenly images of Tanya dry-humping Edward filled my head... I had to get a grip. I wasn't about to be sabotaged by jealousy.

"And?" I asked.

"And I just wanted to let you know. I don't know, in case it's brought up later and you might think I was trying to keep it from you."

"I trust you."

"I know... just wanted to let you know, that's all."

"Is she hitting on you?"

"Of course not. Riley is with her. Oh and guess what they're costumes are, of all things?"

"Vampires?"

"Yes," he answered.

"I bet neither are as sexy as my vampire."

"I don't know, Riley looks pretty dashing in his cape. But seriously though, I'll probably leave early. So I'll be at my apartment by the time you get back."

"I hope to see you soon."

"Bye... love you."

"Love you too."

I ended the call and immediately called Angela. Unfortunately, it went straight to her voicemail.

"Angela, this is Bella. Where are you? Call me back as soon as you get this."

I stood outside in the flower garden another five minutes as I tried to call Angela again and again. Every time it went straight to her voicemail.

"There you are," Jake's voice echoed from behind as I turned to face him.

"I called Angela... but no answer. Maybe we should just cancel and do this another time," I offered.

"I've already ordered dinner. Lobster. You like lobster, right?"

"Lobster's fine." I sighed. Why did I feel like this night was never going to end?

"After you." Jake ushered me back inside as he opened and held the door for me.

"Thank you." I walked back into the dining area to see our table had been cleared.

"We can continue getting to know one another better while we wait. I told the waiter we were waiting for someone, so there's a hold on dinner."

 _Great... just lovely. This night really is never gonna end._

"Can you call your limo driver and see what's taking so long?"

"I can call the limo company."

"I thought you said it was your personal limo?"

"It was my personal limo that picked you up. I rented a limo to pick Angela up."

His words didn't sit well with me. What made me more special than Angela?

"Well, can you please call them?"

"Of course. Excuse me." He removed his phone from the inside of his jacket as he walked off.

I was frustrated as hell by this point. Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions, but something didn't add up; something didn't feel right. And in the back of my mind, I just wanted to leave.

"Angela!" I stood as she walked toward the table.

"Where's Jacob?"

"He's making a call to the limo company. Where have you been?"

"That limo driver was insane. He was being... an idiot. He took me in the opposite direction, and he insisted he knew a shortcut. I knew there were no damn shortcuts. After arguing with him for nearly half an hour, I made him stop and let me out. I took a cab here."

"Angela," Jake greeted, placing a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'm glad you could join us." He laughed it off as if it was some sort of joke.

"Insane limo drivers." Angela laughed with him. "I'm starved. Have you guys ordered?"

Jake informed our waiter everyone was now here so they could start dinner. Angela was thrilled he'd taken the liberty of ordering lobster. Of course she was impressed... dazzled.

"Since t-shirts are casual wear and universally accepted by both men and women, I was thinking we could make the line for male or female," I said.

"I like that idea," Angela said as she sipped her wine.

"Ladies, we'll get to the business part soon enough. Let's relax and enjoy some casual conversation."

"I like that idea better." Angela giggled in Jake's direction.

I faked a polite smile as I sipped my own wine and spent the next few hours listening to Angela and Jake babble, occasionally joining in when I was asked a question.

"So I was thinking maybe we could go further with the t-shirt line and add matching zip hoodies," I said to Jake.

"Keep going," he said.

"Designs of your paintings will be on the front of each t-shirt, and considering the line will be introduced in the winter, I was thinking matching hoodies with the same designs on the back would work better for the winter season."

"So, they'll be sold together?"

"That will be up to you, Mr. Black... I mean, Jake... and the marketing team. But I was thinking of mixing the colors. Rather than selling black and black, perhaps a black t-shirt with a red hoodie."

"I like it." He winked as a small smile tugged at his lips. "Let's talk material."

"Cotton," Angela interjected.

"As far as material, cotton would be a better choice if we decide to use pigment dye."

"What's pigment dye?" he asked.

"It's a coloring process that will coat the outside of the fibers. It creates a faded, worn look."

"Worn?"

"Yes. In my opinion, it gives the t-shirt more character, an edgy, stylish look."

"Then I like it," he replied.

I jotted down notes as we discussed the t-shirt line. I was just glad we were finally discussing business.

"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Black, but I've taken the liberty of drawing a few sketches to give you a pretty good idea on what the line could possibly look like. Of course, this isn't final. More sketches will be drawn up."

I pulled the sketchpad from my bag and flipped to the page I wanted him to see. Upon reaching it across the table, Angela snatched my sketchpad from my hand and looked at it first.

"This is really good, Isabella," she said.

"Thank you."

When she handed the sketchpad to Jake, I noticed how he first looked at my rickety, old sketchpad. Good lord only knows what was probably going through his head.

"I like this... very much." He gazed at the sketches. "You said there were a few..."

"Yes, the next page is a sketch of the hoodie."

He flipped the page as he showed the sketch to Angela. The two of them softly talked among themselves, pointing out how well Jake's paintings had been mimicked onto the sketch.

"Actually, Edward drew the paintings onto the sketch for me," I informed the two of them.

"The club owner?" Jake asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Yes."

"Impressive for a club owner." Jake flipped the sketchpad shut.

"He owns his own nightclub, but Edward also works at the Academy of Art University."

"That's an odd combination." Angela mused.

"I love your ideas, Bella," Jake finally said. "I love the idea of adding hooded sweatshirts to the line."

"Well done, Isabella." Angela smiled, picking up her glass of wine. "This wine is delicious."

"Louis Roederer Cristal Rose," I told her as we clinked our glasses.

"Good choice, " she said to Jake.

"A toast." Jake then held up his glass. "Here's to good business and what I can only hope is the beginning of wonderful friendships."

We all clinked our glasses together. Jake and Angela continued talking about the wine choice among other things.

"If you guys don't mind, and we're finished here... I really need to get back to the city," I said.

Jake's eyes shot to mine. I couldn't quite figure out the look that flashed across his face. Disappointment?

"The night's young," he said. "Oh... but you mentioned earlier you had plans."

"Yes."

"The club owner? The art teacher - boyfriend?" he asked, and I felt that was none of his business, but I nodded and smiled.

"Mr. Wonderful," Angela added with a giggle. Clearly, beginning to feel the effects of her alcohol.

"Yes," I answered, placing my sketchpad back into my bag.

"Let me call my driver." He pulled out his phone. "He'll pick you up out front."

"Thank you for dinner, Jake." I stood and held my hand for him to shake, but he pulled it to his mouth and placed a kiss on my hand instead.

"The pleasure was all mine, Bella." He still held my hand, staring into my eyes.

Pulling my hand from his, I grinned toward Angela. "I'll see you Monday morning."

"Of course. Goodnight, Isabella."

"I'll walk you out," Jake said as he walked around the table.

"You don't have to do that," I told him, but he continued to walk toward me.

"Really, it's no trouble. It'll just take a minute."

"You should stay here with Angela and enjoy your evening. I can walk myself out."

"Angela doesn't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. Take your time. I need to use the lady's room anyway."

"After you." Jake ushered for me to go first, but as I stepped in front of him, he placed his hand on the small of my back and I stiffened.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I wanted to push his hand away, but I didn't.

Admittedly, Jake was a very attractive man, and I'm sure he had tons of women falling at his feet. However, I wasn't interested, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was coming onto me.

As we stood and waited for the limo, a long stretch of silence fell between us. I could feel Jake's eyes on me, but I tried not look.

"So... I really enjoyed this evening." It was Jake who broke the silence.

"It was a lovely evening. Thank you again for dinner."

"Bella, can I tell you something?"

"Yes."

"I know we just met... but there's something about you."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it. Of course you're a very beautiful woman, that's obvious... but it's something else."

"I have a boyfriend," I said.

"Yes, I know." He grinned. "He's a lucky man, Bella. But I know you have a boyfriend... the club owner. I meant there's something about you I can't explain. I didn't mean to imply..."

"Oh..." I could feel my cheeks getting warm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay. My mistake."

His smile wasn't a typical polite, genuine smile. It was more of a flirtatious smile... or was it? Perhaps I was reading too much into things and taking Jake all wrong.

"Goodnight, Jake," I said when I saw the limo pulling up.

"Goodnight, Bella. Thank you for a wonderful evening." He placed a feather-light kiss to my cheek. "Maybe next time I'll take you for a burger and fries."

"Goodnight," I repeated as the driver held open the door and I hurried inside.

Once we were pulling out, relief flooded over me. I looked out the window to see Jake still standing on the sidewalk. What was it with him? Was Jake really flirting with me or was he just an over friendly guy? Either way, I knew I would have to set some boundaries if we were going to work together.

The thirty-minute ride back to Manhattan landed me home just after midnight. Unfortunately, Edward was sound asleep when I arrived home, and Alice's party was nearing an end. I missed everything.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you guys so much for all the feedback this story gets. You'll never know how much I adore you guys! I apologize for the wait on this chapter, both my beta and I have had a lot going on... that's why I try to never set a certain posting schedule.

Thank you to my wonderful beta, whom I appreciate very much. And thank you to my dear-wonderful best friend, C-Mo... You ladies rock!

Until Next Time,

Minerva


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